Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: A Supermodel's Love and Influence
by HFARecon
Summary: Jaxon isn't a typical hero duelist. He duels to be the best in the world, but also to improve his daily life. It all changes when he develops a special mark on his arm and meets a world famous model who's not only in love with him, but reveals herself as a Dark Signer. Join Jaxon as he enters a crossroads. Will he decide to fight for his friends? Or will he fight for his love?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Citizens and Duelists of New Domino City recently, have been intrigued about the rise of a duelist named Jack Atlas. The reigning duel king of the whole planet just finished a turbo duel against an unnamed opponent on live TV to keep his reign as champion. He seemed to be loved by the looks of his fans in the stadium, even though Jack seems to be arrogant almost all the time during his duels and in his post-duel interviews. Despite this, his fans didn't seem to care as they cheered him regardless of his attitude. Before his interview ended, he quoted: "I'll take on anyone on any ride and I'll still be victorious!" He then ended up finishing by quoting to the crowd: "Bring it- ", the radio falls silent. The young potential champion couldn't bear any more of Jack's blunt confidence. The loud vicious roar of his duel runner filled the silent lanes towards New Domino City. His engine almost sounded equivalent to the BMW M3 E46 GTR car from the Need for Speed Most Wanted video game he always played when he was a little boy. However, that's not the only thing he would stick to in his early life, his life was filled with determination, victory, and power, but he also dealt with adversity, tragedy, and uncertainty. He also wasn't as normal as most of his peers around him, that's because he has High Functioning ASD. He normally kept his presence to him alone, as socially, he felt awkward speaking to his friends or strangers he sometimes calls. Instead, he would describe his cards as his best friends. It still applies to today, as he roars through the highway. Before he speeds up, he quotes to himself, "Jack, get ready to be humbled and get ready to bow before the future king of Dueling!". As he ends his quote, he floors the gas pedal and accelerates at full speed towards his new home waiting for his arrival, and also, a never forgetting adventure.


	2. Chapter 1: Beginning of a Journey

**Chapter 1: Beginning of a Journey**

The sounds of duel runners, traffic vehicles, and the citizens' voices rang through New Domino City, although it didn't seem loud enough to wake up Red Hat, whose deep sleep kept him comfy in his king-sized bed. "DING DING DING!", before you know it, the alarm suddenly sounds, awakening a disgruntled young adult who recently turned 19 years old.

"Seriously, Planet Earth?" The young duelist said. "Can't you rotate twice as slow for once?"

As much annoyed by his alarm on his iphone8 plus that was charging overnight, he knew what today was, the day that he would be competing in the Fortune Cup.

"Oh well, at least today, I can prove to not only New Domino City but also to the entire world that I can beat the duel king." The young man said to himself.

After getting cleaned and all polished up, he puts on his short black sleeve shirt he would always wear when he had the chance. His jeans would follow, not long after, his famous red hat he forever treasured when he first bought the hat before he moved to New Domino City. His jacket would be last to be worn before heading out.

Typically, his parents would still be living with him due to his young age and his financial situations. Every day, they would tell him to be safe and have fun dueling your peers. He always heard this, until five months ago. His parents were in battle overseas in the middle east fighting to protect his freedom, when one day, he got a call from the marine branch of the United States Military. They called him to tell him that "We have retrieved dog tags that belong to your parents. I'm genuinely sorry for your loss."

That day was the worst in his life. Not only he lost his parents while they were away, but he also lost his most favorite fans. Now, his parents are in Arlington National Cemetery, buried underground in their final resting place next to one another.

He thought about his late parents before heading out from his garage, knowing that they are in a better place and watching over him as he continues on his journey, he feels happy, knowing he finally has the chance to make his parents proud, who were sitting upstairs in the best seats anyone could enjoy.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going to make you proud today. Can't wait to share my story with you both once I join you all." The duelist said to himself, with tears on the verge of streaming down his face.

He proceeded to open his garage door and started up the engine inside the duel runner he received as a Christmas gift from his entire family almost two years before their unfortunate deaths. He revved up the engine and proceeded to appear outside in his driveway. Before he drives off, he presses the garage door button on his opener to make sure no one steals any of his prized possessions inside.

As soon as he starts to drive on the street he lives by; he immediately accelerates towards the interstate exit. He couldn't wait to arrive at the stadium that would later be filled up by thousands of screaming fans.

"Let's kick this bad boy up, shall we?" He says as the duel runner accelerated through the interstate that eventually led to the site of the fortune cup.

As he zoomed through the area where registered duelists can go, he realized that other duelists were also in the area, discussing that regardless of who wins the whole tournament, it would be highly unlikely that they could beat the duel king, who of course was Jack Atlas. Of course, he would hear this from other duelists. Jack hasn't lost a duel as far as people know.

"_That will change soon." _He mumbled to himself as he proceeded to his area where he would stay for the rest of the tournament.

As soon as he starts to enter, someone from afar said, "Who in the hell is that guy?"

The young duelist continued to proceed, ignoring the comment made by one of his potential opponents. He ignored him, knowing that the guy possibly wouldn't be able to make it past the first round.

After he parked his duel runner, he went to a quiet space away from the other duelists to focus on his deck. He wondered what he could add and take out, depending on his opponent. He would also study film that he obtained from past duels his opponents would be involved in. He studied not only their body language but also the pattern they would play not only their monsters but also their spells and traps. He would determine how aggressive they were to play their cards, depending on the situation. Every time something substantial would come up, he would jot down a note of something to figure out a counter.

This young duelist always did this; he's been doing this since he was only a little boy. He would claim that if a duelist didn't remember how his opponent played, he wouldn't even have a punchers chance of winning.

The way he would study his opponents would almost make others think that this young duelist doesn't like to talk to others since he would spend all of his free time watching and studying his opponents. There was something else; his diagnosis of a genetic disorder was also a factor in his life as a boy.

This young duelist was born with High Functioning ASD, meaning Autism Spectrum Disorder. This genetic disorder would almost prevent him from interacting with others. To make life on him easier, he would keep his thoughts to himself so he wouldn't feel awkward in public. There not many people that are duelists with that kind of genetic disorder, but he wouldn't care that much.

He believes that having this disorder would be a huge advantage. People like him, on average, have a higher IQ score in general of things, including little things like which cards he would have in his deck. Although, if there were one card he would never give up or trade for any cause, it would be his ace monster, "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys."

He wouldn't be able to live without it; this ritual monster helped him become the duelist he would end up becoming. He treated the card as his best friend, and quite frankly, the card was his only friend.

The young duelist continued to study, add and take out individual cards that he thought would be best for his deck. It all seemed to go very well for the young kid until someone familiar showed up in front of him; it was someone he had seen before on the streets.

"Nice cards you got there." Someone said to his left. The young duelist was stunned mentally, not knowing what or how to respond to the familiar face, especially someone that became more popular recently.

"Aren't you… Yusei Fudo?" The young duelist asked shyly, not knowing what he would hear next.

"Yeah, what yours?" Yusei asked back.

"The names Jaxon" He replied. "Not a lot of people around here knows my name unfortunately, but it's nice and caring for you to know my name. I appreciate it."

"No problem bro, I always try to be kind to everyone regardless of who they are or where they're from." Yusei replied, noticing the timidness within Jaxon.

"Seems like you got a solid deck to duel with," Yusei says.

"Yeah," Jaxon responds, "I've been playing a variety of cards, honestly. However, I have kept one particular card in my deck that works with my strategy very well."

Yusei thinks about what card he would have, most likely a synchro monster since he more of a synchro duelist.

"What card would that be?" Yusei asks.

"This card, 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.' The card I treat as my prized possession." Jaxon responds.

"Hmm, how interesting. Don't see that much ritual monsters around here often." Yusei responds.

Yusei then wonders to himself, "_How could someone play a deck without mastering the synchro summon? He must not have mastered it up to this point. Maybe I can offer some advice to this guy so that he may be able to have a chance of winning this whole thing."_

"Don't you run any synchro monsters in your deck by any chance?" Yusei kindly asks.

"Nope, not in this deck," Jaxon responds. "This deck for my entire life as gotten me to this point; why change this deck into something entirely different at the point where you don't know what cards in your deck do?"

"That's a true statement," Yusei says. "But synchro summoning is very important for a duelist. I apologize if I'm a little rude here, A duelist like you needs to master the synchro summon to excel at his potential. With those monsters, especially the ritual ace monster you have, I don't think you'll be able to keep up with the advanced techniques of today's dueling."

Jaxon was almost shocked when Yusei spat out these words, almost like Jack Atlas would. Disagreeing with what he claims about his strategy, he sets down his deck, duel disk, and stands up slowly to look Yusei dead in his eyes.

"Listen, Yusei," Jaxon says boldly, "Duelists of any kind have a chance if they trust their deck, even if they don't have monsters like 'synchro' monsters."

"They don't need to be required to have synchro monsters to be successful; it's more about the trust, passion, and strategy they possess within them to succeed in their dueling career," Jaxon responds, countering the words Yusei spoke out a few seconds prior.

"Also, as a person like you, I feel that hearing those words coming out of your mouth is not only not normal but unrealistic," Jaxon claims.

Jaxon then shows Yusei his ace monster, drawing it out from his deck and giving Yusei a close eye view of the cards attack, defense, and effects. "This card means everything to me. It may not be the most powerful to your eyes, but in my eyes, it's everything I wanted to have the best chance possible of beating my role models such as you! And I can't wait not only to prove you wrong but to prove Jack Atlas, his fans, and everyone in the world watching, that not only synchro monsters are not just the only key to winning, but strategy, trust in your cards, and perseverance will make you a champion-caliber duelist."

Jaxon then proceeds to storm off with his deck and duel disk to search for another area to study and prepare. He then takes a look back at Yusei, starring at him walking away, unsure how to respond to Jaxon's rant in front of his face.

"I'll see you out there, good luck," Jaxon says to Yusei while walking out of the room. Yusei wasn't so sure why Jaxon became angry all of a sudden.

"_Maybe what I said wasn't realistic at all, I probably shouldn't have said that to the guy."_ Yusei thought to himself, but he couldn't let that thought impact him right now, especially given the fact that the first duel will begin in approximately an hour.

"Attention all Fortune Cup participants, please make your way to the under stage for the introduction ceremony."


	3. Chapter 2: Thoughts of a Crowd

**Chapter 2: Thoughts of a Crowd**

It was the moment that every duelist was waiting for; the start of the Fortune Cup tournament.

Jaxon had everything in motion to win the whole competition. He studied all of his potential opponents he would face and had every backup plan in place just in case something were not to go his way.

While proceeding towards the pre-stage area, a conversation caught his attention from afar to his right. He saw Yusei, Leo, Luna, and another group of guys that went with him to support Yusei in the tournament.

"Well, what do you think guys?" Leo asked. "How do I look?"

"Leo, you're as good a Luna as Luna is!" The older man responded.

"YAHOO!" Leo blurted out in excitement.

Luna didn't seem pleased. In response, Luna slightly kicked Leo to the shin, temporarily stunning her brother.

"Don't embarrass me!" Luna yelled.

"Come on, Luna, just chill out," Leo responded, "I'm about to make you a dueling legend! What do you say, Mr. Amnesia man?"

"Sure, but I think the makeup should go." Yusei says in response to Leo's question.

Jaxon let out a small giggle before heading to the pre-stage area where the other remaining duelists were getting set for the start of the tournament.

Both Yusei and Leo walked towards the pre-stage area. When they arrived, they saw all of the other duelists waiting. Among them were Grieger, Commander Koda, Sir Randsborg, Akiza Izinski, Hunter, and of course, Jaxon.

Jaxon and all of the other participating duelists stood in position, waiting for them to rise to the dueling area where thousands of screaming fans await them.

Yusei looked towards Jaxon curiously, who was right next to him, waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin.

"Hey, Jaxon" Yusei said, catching his attention. "Good Luck today, I hope you'll go far in the competition."

"Thank you, Yusei." Jaxon responded, "I hope you will go far as well."

_Thanks for the appreciative comment, but I don't need luck. _Jaxon thought to himself, _I have my deck, strategies, and my confidence in my abilities to push me to the top!_

Before they knew it, the ground below them started to move. At the same time, the roof opened up to the roar of the fans within the stadium, waiting for the duelists to appear from the ground.

As the duelists rose, Jaxon took in some deep breaths to calm his adrenaline. He knew this tournament was his moment to shine; however, he couldn't afford to get overcome by the anxiety he had to deal with.

_Okay Jaxon, calm down, calm down. There may be a lot of people watching today, but you've dueled so well in front of your friends and others. This is your moment to shine and to prove everyone wrong that you can beat the champion, Jack Atlas. You got this! _

After thinking to himself, Jaxon felt relaxed and confident in himself. He couldn't wait to perform for the fans watching here and all around the world.

Before everyone knew it, the duelists would appear in front of thousands of fans cheering on every single one of them.

_Now This is what I'm talking about! _Jaxon said to himself, who could barely contain his excitement.

"Well, they're excited, aren't they?" Yusei adds.

"They sure look excited to me." Jaxon nods back.

All of a sudden, the stadium shakes as Red Dragon Archfiend takes to the skies, along with Jack Atlas making a grand entrance with his famous duel runner around the track.

"New Domino City, why don't we kick this duel tournament into overdrive!" Jack exclaims from the top of his lungs. "Let's get this started!"

"It's time we meet the lucky duelists who were selected to compete for the chance to go head to head with Mr. Atlas, the fortune eight!"

"Here we go!" Leo says as the rising floor raises the duelists to the dueling stage.

"Now let's hear it for the mysterious professor, The Great Grieger, Commander Koda, The professor, Ms. Akiza Izinski, Sir Randsborg, Jaxon "The Vagabond" Meyer, the lovely Miss Luna, and Yusei Fudo!"

Before MC could continue, Jaxon and some of the other duelists started to hear some chants from the crowd chanting, "Who that loser?!" towards Yusei Fudo.

Jaxon didn't understand at first, but as soon as he looked at Yusei's blank stare, he noticed that Yusei contained a yellow mark across his face, signaling that he was from the Satellite Sector.

It was then Jaxon realized that New Domino City had a flaw that he never knew until now. The citizens of New Domino City don't take kindly from Satellite, as they sometimes view them as inferior, weak, and undeserving people.

These chants towards Yusei angered Jaxon. He knew that the crowd wouldn't want to see the people watch someone from the Satellite win this tournament and have a chance to beat Jack Atlas, at the same time, this wasn't right to shame a duelist who worked so hard to get to the tournament just to be shamed publicly by the crowd, he knew he had to do something.

Jaxon looked over at MC, who was startled by the chants of the crowd. Seeing him, Jaxon knew this was his moment to take control of the situation and make a name for himself not only as a duelist but as a person who will not tolerate such hatred towards one duelist.

Jaxon then proceeded towards MC, taking the mic from the distracted announcer as he was attempting to calm the crowd down.

After taking the microphone, Jaxon storms towards the front of the stage, knowing this was his big moment to stand out from the rest of the competition.

"People of New Domino City… This is how you treat a duelist of exceptional skill?"

Everyone was shocked by the words Jaxon spoke from his mouth, even Yusei Fudo himself. The crowd couldn't help but turn their attention towards the young duelist standing up for someone he deeply respected.

"Is this how you treat people from the Satellite Sector? Is this how you treat people who don't live as well as you do?! Is this the way to live life in this city?! Shaming on people based on where they were born?! Based on their financial state?! Based on their class status?! Or based on the mark on their face?!

Some fans of the crowd began to boo loudly in response to Jaxon's shocking statement.

Knowing that the boos were legit and not just for fun, Jaxon thought about a sentence that he knew would rile up the crowd enough to make him become the most hated duelist of that day.

"It's unfortunate how New Domino City is being ruined by the very people who inhabit within its boundaries. You all make me SICK!"

The majority of the crowd began to roar a constant amount of boos from all directions after hearing that one particular statement from Jaxon.

"_I got these guys now." _Jaxon thought to himself, relishing in his moment.

Then Jaxon started to recognize the crowd calming down after their rain of boos, and after a few seconds pasted, Jaxon took one more opportunity to say something so bold that he would make sure he never forget for a long time…

"You people make this place an absolute dump of a city! More of a dump than the Satellite Sector EVER would be!" Jaxon screamed.

The crowd then returned to their chorus of boos ringing around the stadium, even louder than last time. It was then that Jaxon felt proud of what he said; he stood up for someone that was looked down upon as someone being inferior to everyone else. Jaxon knew he did the right thing, even if the crowd didn't seem to care one bit.

Yusei then stormed towards Jaxon angrily, then snatched the microphone away from Jaxon's right hand. Jaxon was shocked. Out of all people, Yusei stood up to him; he would never imagine the person he claimed to have defended would be the one to confront him in front of thousands of fans booing towards him. Yusei then looked Jaxon dead in the eye with an angry stare piercing through his eyesight.

"What the hell is wrong with you bro?!" Yusei yells, "Don't talk to the people of this city like this! It's disrespectful to everyone, including Rex Godwin! You don't want to be severely hated, don't you?!"

"Do you think I care right now?" Jaxon claps back at Yusei. "All I'm doing is standing up for you in front of this hostile crowd, and you dare say that what I'm saying is 'disrespectful'? What the hell is wrong with YOU?!"

Jaxon furiously walks back to his original position before he ranted in front of the crowd. Yusei then followed suit before giving the microphone back to MC.

Leo and the other remaining duelists were almost shocked to hear something come out of the young duelist's mouth. They looked like they never saw anything like this before!

"Is there anyone that wants to say a few words before we get sta-!"

Before MC knew it was coming, Grieger took the microphone away from MC and began a speech of his own.

"_Oh boy, here we go…" _Jaxon thought to himself, anticipating more rants from Grieger.

"I have something to say!" Grieger exclaims. The crowd then began to fall silent to the point where you could almost hear a pin drop to the ground.

"My name is Grieger; I know things are different around here in this city, but where I come from, you judge a guy on his spirit. This fellow here may have been branded here by you all as a no-good, but when I look at him, all I see is a duelist, and being a duelist myself, that means I have to respect him until he gives me a reason not to because a duelist doesn't judge another duelist on where he was born, about his family, his money, or even his status, all of that NEVER matters!"

Everyone was shocked once again on Grieger's statements on his statements about Yusei Fudo. Some of the crowd was even cheering after he made the bold statement. Something that Jaxon never thought would happen since he roasted the fans in attendance.

Rex Godwin, who was attending the whole tournament, applauded Grieger's speech about Yusei Fudo. He knew Yusei was a special kid. Regardless if he was from the Satellite Sector, Rex Godwin knew Yusei was someone that wouldn't be overlooked, as well as the other seven duelists who came to showcase their dueling skills.

The crowd followed Godwin with applause of their own, Leo was shocked and uplifted to the point of him being in tears as a result of Grieger's heartwarming speech. His speech also inspired Jaxon, the very person who did the exact opposite a few moments ago.

"_Maybe I should have been more positive. Oh well, I hope to win the fans over with my dueling!" _Jaxon mumbles to himself as Grieger walks back to his original spot while handing back the microphone to MC.

"Thank you for the kind and most precious words, Grieger. In our world, social status and personal wealth draw a line between ourselves and our fellow man." Godwin states. "But I had a vision of a duel tournament that would if only for a short while remove that line. A tournament separated from the competition of life, where the haves and have nots could meet each other on a level playing field, and prove themselves to each other and the world."

Godwin begins to raise his voice, "Duelists, welcome to the fortune cup!"

The crowd began to cover the stadium with a sound of excitement and cheers as the tournament shuffle was about to commence, revealing who would face who in the first round of the tournament.

"Alright everyone, let's turn to the bracket shuffler and see who's dueling who!" MC blurts out as the shuffle starts to reveal which duelists would be facing each other in the first duels of the tournament.

Jaxon anticipated that everyone would be dueling at least once in the first round, little did he know that there would be number seedings based on the duelist's success outside of the competition.

"Um, why am I not dueling in the first round?" Jaxon asks, "Shouldn't everyone participating in the tournament have the chance to duel and not have a 'bye' round?"

"Well, there's one thing you forgot to look up about this tournament format," Yusei responds.

"What?" Jaxon asks, "Is there something I am missing here?"

You see, last year, the developers of the fortune cup decided to change how the tournament would be set up." Yusei answers, "They used to give everyone equal opportunities to duel in front of these types of crowds. Over time however, people spoke up about duelists having first-round 'byes' to avoid frequent upsets."

"That sounds reasonable, but why?" Jaxon asks back.

"I don't know why," Yusei responds with a concerned look on his face. "It all seems fishy to me. It sounds like they are trying to cover something up that we don't know.

"Well, should we focus on our dueling and see how that pans out instead of a possible rigged system?"

"Might as well, I hope this doesn't affect the mindset of every duelist competing here today," Yusei answers back to Jaxon's question.

After the Fortune Cup Introduction ceremony wrapped up, all duelists proceeded to head to the "VIP" section of the building, where other duelists could hang out and interact, or study upon their opponents. It would be another 30 minutes before the first duel would begin, the beginning of the Fortune Cup.


	4. Chapter 3: Knight vs Black Rose

**Chapter 3: Rose vs. Knight**

It would be a while before the young hero would get the chance to duel in front of everyone watching the Fortune Cup. While he returned to the duelist section within stadium limits, he still didn't understand why this year was different; based on things mainly involving with the ranking placement. No one in the majority would ever think that he would be ranked this high, considering he hasn't had that many pro duels as of late. Was it because of the power of his deck? His strategies? His unknown potential?

He thought about this to himself for quite some time, until he saw someone he recognized at the corner of his eye walking down a hallway nearby.

It was Leo, who recently lost his duel against Grieger, the man whole made that speech that won him over the crowd about Yusei's status.

Just by looking at Leo's face, Jaxon knew that Leo wasn't happy with himself, especially losing in front of millions around the world on live TV.

"_Poor Leo, I know he's a great duelist. Something is missing about him, I know it! Let's see if I can cheer him up a bit."_

Jaxon put down his cards that he was adding and taking out to prepare for his next duel, and walked towards the young kid.

He was walking along with his sister Luna, Yusei, and his satellite gang he brought with him. They looked like they were trying to cheer up Leo, wanting him to forget about the negatives in his loss, and instead focus on improvement.

"Hey, Leo, try cheering up! It's not like millions of people see you lose!" Luna tells Leo.

"Thanks," Leo grunts angrily.

"It's not a loss if you learn something from it" Yusei responds, "Now you know more than last time, right?"

"Uh, yeah, more about LOSING" Leo responds, "I can't wait to do THAT in my next duel."

At the same time, Jaxon appears from the VIP room to pep talk to the young fellow. Jaxon knows that Leo has an issue with overconfidence and dealing with losses in duels; it can lead to arrogance based on Jaxon's opinions. Even though he hasn't lost a contest in his life, he has dealt with this himself. There were duels that Jaxon thought that his strategies and his deck would cream his opponents based on his opponents' status. Jaxon thought that his experience would help out Leo since he believes that Leo is going through the same thing that he once went through for some time.

"Leo, mind if I tell you something?" Jaxon asks. "It seems like you're in the dumps, and you could use some advice to help you in future situations. Do you mind if I give you some tips?"

"Umm, sure, why not?" Leo responds, "I could use some advice from someone as powerful as you after all!"

Jaxon then thought to himself what he should say to Leo; he is a young kid after all. One false thing that comes out of his mouth and Leo would be bored in a second.

"Leo, you did well out there." Jaxon says to Leo, looking at him in his blue crystal eyes. "I know losing sucks; no one wants to lose in front of millions around the world, but you did better than what everyone expected. You should be happy with your performance!"

"I should?" Leo asks.

"Yes, you should" Jaxon answers back, "You see Leo, when a duelist suffers a loss for the first time in a professional setting like the Fortune Cup we are competing in, that is when their true potential and value shows. I have been through this many times after beating other duelists who haven't lost at all. I have seen many after-duel reactions throughout my journey. Some were great, and some, unfortunately, were not as great."

Leo looked confused for a moment, trying to absorb Jaxon's words.

"What I see right now, looking at you, you can handle this loss a lot better than how you're handling it right now."

"And why's that?" Leo asks, "Why should I be happy about a loss?"

"Leo, you don't have to be happy about a loss" Jaxon responds, "Be happy about how you performed. You gave Grieger a run for his money! No one has done that for a while now until you did!"

"Really?" Leo says shockingly; he was pretty surprised that those words came out of someone he just met recently, but for somewhat reason, Leo felt like he knew him for a long time based on how Jaxon was speaking to him.

"Yes, it's true!" Jaxon answers, "Now taking everything that you did in your duel, you should take some time to review and go over what you did that lead to your loss. You need to do this if you want to become the greatest duelist that you can be. It may sound time-consuming at best, but in the end, it will pay off."

"Are you sure about this?" Leo asks.

"Yes, I'm positive this will help you become a better duelist" Jaxon responds. "I know you have potential inside you; you need to adapt and become more mature in situations like these. Have these duels become lessons in your dueling career, for you shall have a promising dueling life in your near future."

Leo didn't know what to say after that. Leo needed to hear this, as his confidence was low after his loss to Grieger. After hearing those words from Jaxon, he didn't seem to care much now about his loss.

"Thanks, Jax" Leo says. "I needed to hear this"

"I could use a speech like this!" Luna claims, breaking Leo's thoughts as he was starring into almost daydreaming of him becoming champion one day.

"Stop ruining my moment sis!" Leo yells back.

Luna giggles at Leo's reaction, knowing he was acting silly as he always is around his younger twin sister.

The moment was uplifting and inspiring until a figure started to walk towards the group. A woman in a past looking Victorian red dress was appearing before them.

Jaxon caught this woman at the corner of his eye. Knowing that the group was distracted by Jaxon's pep talk to Leo, Jaxon took measures to make sure the mysterious woman wouldn't do such things suddenly.

"Hey!" Jaxon yelled at the group, "Make some room; I don't want you guys to get in her way. She seems fishy to me."

The young woman was actually one of the duelists who was on her way to compete against Sir Randsborg, the woman's name was Akiza Izinski.

Akiza was also known as "The Black Rose" to most people, a mysterious female duelist who tore everything in her way. She did this by using physic powers to use her dragon to destroy things that were in her way.

Jaxon knew about this; he was a witness to the Black Rose's destruction in a facility near the satellite sector a couple of days prior. Her natural appearance was the most recognizable. Her crimson hair was representing the color of her dragon that was being revealed outside of her mask that she would sometimes wear during dueling. Jaxon also remembered her voice; it sounded like someone in pain and trying to reduce it by any means.

Akiza heard what Jaxon said regarding to having everyone get out of her way just in case if she were to get angry all of a sudden. She didn't seem to take kindly of his words.

Akiza then stopped suddenly, hearing what Jaxon said then proceeded to turn towards Jaxon, who was in front of the group of duelists looking slightly scared, except Yusei, who didn't seem to be frightened at all.

She walked up towards Jaxon slowly, but angrily. Knowing what she had been going through, she couldn't pass the opportunity to confront the person who thought she assumed that he was a bad person just like everyone she thought of.

"Excuse me?" she claims as both Jaxon and Akiza stare each other down, just like UFC fighters would do on weigh-ins one day before their fight.

The rest of the group nearly gasped as they feared that Akiza would show Jaxon her real powers in front of everyone watching.

"You heard what I said, Black Rose" Jaxon responds boldly, not backing down from the approaching woman.

"I hope you duel well against that medieval knight guy out there because after you win, you're going to have to go through me afterward," Jaxon says towards Akiza, who was looking at Jaxon's eyes and not taking her eyes off them. "I highly doubt you'll get past me despite how many 'physic powers' you possess. I'm not letting you hurt anyone else after I beat you."

"You are gravely mistaken, my fellow peer." Akiza responds, "I am not as horrible as you think I am. My physic powers are uncontrollable. Every time I get close to someone, my abilities call to me to wipe them away from my sight. You're lucky that now is not the right time for me to unleash them."

"Do you think I care about your abilities?" Jaxon asks in response, "I don't, at all. Your abilities won't be able to overpower my deck and strategies when we meet. I know what cards you play, and I know your patterns. And don't you think for a second just because I have ASD doesn't mean I'm afraid of you."

"I'm afraid of nobody, including you, Black Rose." Jaxon claims.

Akiza then starts to tremble after hearing what Jaxon had to say. She shakes to the point where the group began to back away in fear.

Jaxon stood still while continuing to stare down Akiza's eyes. He knew she was about to lose her control.

"_Come on, witch, do you're worst! I dare you."_

"That's enough, Akiza!" A man says behind her, pulling her away from Jaxon.

"Who are you?" Yusei asks.

"My name is Sayer, Akiza's leader and leader of the Arcadia Movement."

"What's this Arcadia Movement, anyways?" Jaxon asks, "Is it some online clan that developed into some cult?"

"Far from a cult, fellow human." Sayer responds, "We are a group that treats our followers like family, we build our movement by reaching out to others who were abandoned by their families. We give them a new life and a home to connect with our followers. We also build to destroy any other movement that possesses any danger involving our movement."

"Yusei, this guy seems sketchy to me." Jaxon tells Yusei, "He's almost talking like he's secretly using Akiza as more of a plaything rather than a follower."

"Say what you want about Akiza or our movement" Sayer responds, "But I can assure you, Akiza is just fine where she is, safe and sound with us."

"Come along, Akiza; it's time for your duel to commence." Sayer says as he escorts Akiza away from Jaxon, Yusei, and the others.

"I'm not so sure about this Sayer guy," Yusei adds.

"Me either," Jaxon responds, "Poor girl doesn't realize what she has gotten into."

~**LINEBREAK~**

"_Welcome Back! Our next duel is about to begin! And now, entering the arena, a knight in shining armor, it's the one, the only, Sir Randsborg!"_

Sir Randsborg raises his sword into the air, ready for battle.

"Good people of New Domino City, thou shall knowest my blade, and my deck from the attacks thee shall witness!"

The crowd seemed to be hyped from Randsborg's pump-up speech as the crowd roared in favor of the medieval knight.

"_While we attempt to translate the William Shakesperian language, let's get him ready for his opponent!"_

The older man within Yusei's group wasn't impressed as much to say.

"This guy cannot be serious!" Grandpa said.

"Don't get me started on that big faker Grandpa." The bigger man said, "I wore that same costume last Halloween!"

"_Now his opponent, entering the arena, with a record of-"_

The PA announcer seemed to be confused with the records of Sir's opponent, considering that Akiza had secretly been covering her true identity in order not to get exposed in public.

"_Well, it seems like we don't have a record of her, but we can say is that his opponent is not to be taken lightly! New Domino City, let's hear it for Ms. Akiza Izinski!"_

Leo then started to recognize the woman's appearance from the confrontation between her and Jaxon. He began to feel uneasy, looking at her Victorian appearance.

"I feel like we have seen this strange woman before!" Leo claims while trembling.

"You mean the woman in the hallway?" Dexter asks.

"No! Before that!" Leo yells out in response, "Get it together, little brain!"

Luna herself continued to look towards Akiza when all of a sudden, she is taken aback by a strong presence from Akiza's deck.

"Guys, I think there's something wrong with her deck. It feels like something in pain!"

Jaxon and Yusei were also watching this duel from the duelist VIP section. They both seemed curious as to how this duel was going to play out.

"This is going to be interesting," Jaxon says.

"Indeed it will," Yusei nods back.

"**DUEL!"**

**Turn 1: Randsborg**

**Akiza – 4000 LP**

**Randsborg – 4000 LP**

"Ready maiden?" Randsborg yells out. " I draw! I summon thy Level 3 Masked Knight!"

**Masked Knight Lvl 3-**

**1500 ATK **

**800 DEF**

"Thee shall suffer this; it's ability most special!"

"Thall Louseth, 400 Life Points!"

"Forthwith, I shall call upon mine spell, 'Level Up!'

"The shall have no blade, but be banished to thy yard of graves, for thou brother in arms now be summoned, 'Masked Knight Lvl 5!'."

Akiza didn't seem to be bothered by Sir's accent as she continues to stare down the knight across from her soullessly.

"And thus, like thy comrade's ability most special!" Randsborg claims. "Thou shall feel the sharp sting as the forces align against thee!"

"Life points most foul, be gone!" Randsborg yells as Masked Knight takes away a chunk of Akiza's life points.

"I shall yield with a face down, thy turn!"

"_Can our mystery duelist come back from this? Does she have a chance? Will I understand anything Sir Randsborg says in this duel?"_

Jaxon secretly let out a small chuckle as he continued to watch the early parts of this duel. He still couldn't wait to duel the Black Rose, that is if Akiza can win this duel.

"Everything is going according to plan, Rex Godwin," Lazar says as he speaks to Director Godwin. "Randsborg is pushing her to her limits, and we shall see if she's truly a signer!"

Rex Godwin lets out a confident 'hmph' as he slightly looks back at the champion Jack Atlas, relaxing on a sofa watching the duel from afar.

"Fear not maiden!" Randsborg claims, "Defeat is soon!"

Akiza once again didn't seem to care about what Sir had to say. She knew she had the confidence since she was the Black Rose after all.

"A silent tongue?" Randsborg asks, "Or have the viper take hold of thee?"

"No!" Akiza yells back, "I'm getting tired of listening to your accent!"

**Turn 2: Akiza**

**Akiza – 4000 LP**

**Randsborg – 4000 LP**

"I summon Wall of Ivy in defense mode!" Akiza yells as her monster appears in a blue form, ready to take an attack from Randsborg's monster.

**Wall of Ivy **

**ATK – 300**

**DEF – 1200**

When this card is selected as an attack target, Special Summon 1 "Ivy Token" (Plant-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position to your opponent's side of the field. When this Token is destroyed, its controller takes 300 damage.

" Next, I'll activate my spell card, 'Seed of Deception'!" Akiza yells as the spell card appears in front of her. "With this, I can summon another level 2 monster from my hand! With this, I special summon the level one tuner monster, 'Copy Plant'!"

**Copy Plant**

**ATK – 0**

**DEF – 0**

**Once per ****turn****, you can ****select**** one ****face-up****monster**** your opponent ****controls**** to have this card's ****Level**** become equal to the selected monster's Level, until the ****End Phase****.**

"Now that 'Copy Plant' is on my field, it gets to power up to the level of a monster on your field!" Akiza yells out while summoning her tuner monster. "And I couldn't have thought of anyone more perfect than your LVL 5 knight!"

All of a sudden, Akiza's monster then turns into a copy of Sir's Knight, with the same level on her field. Almost as if someone were to summon a demon with a power of a wand in their hand.

"This fair maiden would like to thank you for your help!" Akiza claims as the level 5 copy plant monster duplicates its appearance to the real knight on Sir's field.

Leo then realizes what Akiza is planning to do; he tells everyone in his group the inevitable.

"She's gonna synchro summon!" Leo cries out.

Sir Randsborg, like Akiza earlier, didn't seem too pleased with her techniques. He almost thought as if she didn't know what she was doing.

"I fear you, not my lady!" Sir yells out.

"Well, you should be!" Akiza cries out in response, "Because I'm tuning my Copy Plant with my Wall of Ivy!" Both monsters then join together in unison within green circular boundaries shooting up towards the air as Akiza prepares for her ace monster to appear on her side of the field.

"It's about time you stop playing with plastic swords and dice Randsborg!" Akiza says, as her monsters staying in unison, continue to fly through the stadium at a rapid pace, eventually forming a synchro summon.

Before everyone knew it, a near gridiron sized purple lighting bolt strikes Akiza's side of the field, signaling the appearance of her ultimate beast.

"Now I summon to the field, Black Rose Dragon!"

**Black Rose Dragon**

**ATK – 2400**

**DEF – 1800**

**1 ****Tuner**** \+ 1 or more non-Tuner ****monsters**

**When this card is ****Synchro Summoned****, you can ****destroy**** all cards on the ****field****. Once per ****turn****, you can ****remove from play**** 1 ****Plant****-****Type**** monster in ****Graveyard**** to change 1 ****Defense Position**** monster your opponent ****controls**** to ****face-up****Attack Position**** and reduce its ****ATK**** to 0 until the ****End Phase**** of this turn.**

Before anyone knew it, crimson wings appeared from the purple light as people all over the stadium felt the whole place rock and shake as a result of the arrival of the dragon. The wind was equivalent to a category five hurricane, winds that people would have a hard time withstanding.

Then, all of a sudden, a red glowing mark appeared on Yusei's right arm. Yusei didn't see this coming, and as a result, he gasped in pain as he tried to reduce it by grabbing it.

Jaxon was shocked to see this in front of him; he was even more shocked when a mark of his own appeared on his right arm as well! It was glowing red but looked a little different compared to Yusei's mark.

Jaxon, not knowing was going on, asked Yusei about the whole mark situation.

"What the hell is this thing on our arms?! And why is it glowing every time that dragon is summoned?" Jaxon asks Yusei while grasping his right arm in pain.

"I'm not so sure, but one thing is for sure," Yusei responds, "We have seen that dragon before!"

"Most people who face Black Rose Dragon never duel again!" Jaxon adds to Yusei's comment. While he knew that the Black Rose Dragon was mighty, he didn't realize how truly powerful it could be.

"_Maybe firing her up before this duel wasn't so much of a great idea after all…" _Jaxon thought to himself.

"Fear not!" Sir Randsborg yells, "Thy knight shall do battle with the great beast, and thy dark maiden shall be made to pay for this!"

"_Unless if thy eyes deceive me," _Sir says while smirking towards Akiza, "_She knows nothing about my Sakurestu Armour waiting to strike!"_

"Your eyes do vex!" Randsborg claims across the duel stage as both duelists are at a temporary standstill.

"I'll take that as a complement!" Akiza yells back, "But in case if it wasn't, I'll let you know something. Black Rose Dragon takes out ALL of your cards Randsborg!"

This move was something that the Sir didn't see coming; he anticipated an attack which would lead him to activate his trap card in which the effect would destroy Akiza's Black Rose Dragon; unfortunately, Akiza countered his move.

"Go, Black Rose Gale!" Akiza cries as her dragon spat out a mini-tornado within the stadium. Fortunately for the fans, it was nowhere near the power where it could destroy the stadium, injure people, or even worse.

As for Randsborg, his cards didn't see a great fate, as Black Rose Dragon's tornado allow it to destroy all of Sir's cards, leaving him wide open with nothing to defend himself. However, the effect also took out Akiza's dragon with it, as the effect destroys all cards on the field.

"Now watch as I activate my Field Spell, Black Garden!"

As soon as Akiza activates her field spell, the dueling stage she stands on begins to shoot out garden thorns from the ground and into the sky above the two duelists. The crowd begins to realize how powerful and dangerous Akiza can become, especially with the psychic abilities she inherited from birth.

"What evil is this?!" Randsborg yells out while being surrounded by plant stem thorns everywhere he sees.

It all seems to be working out for the Black Rose, as this could point to a sign that a comfortable victory could be in store for the people watching, including Jaxon, who was waiting in the back for either duelist to win, so that he could prove to everyone, including himself that he is worthy of being New Domino City's new king of dueling.

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 4: Knight vs Rose Part 2

**Chapter 4: Knight vs. Rose Part 2**

"Ok, I knew Akiza was powerful," Jaxon says, "But if you can rain down purple lightning AND raise thorns from the ground, that's another level! I feel bad for the poor knight out there."

"We still got a long way to go before we have a winner Jaxon," Yusei responds, "Anything can happen at any time."

Jaxon couldn't believe what he was seeing! Jaxon knew Akiza was a powerful duelist; he knew she was most likely going to win this duel. After all, she had the advantage since her field spell's effect gave her plant monsters an extra boost. It was everything that followed with the summoning of her monsters that shocked Jaxon. The purple lightning from the sky out of nowhere, hurricane type winds shaking the whole stadium, and the roar of her dragon caught him off guard.

"So this is who I might face next round, well ain't this an outstanding preview!?" Jaxon blurts out with his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Like they say, be careful what you wish for," Yusei says in response. "She may not even be at her full potential; I can only imagine she'll up the stakes if she duels you since you confronted her in the hallway."

"I bet she hasn't confronted anyone like I did to her." Jaxon nods back while thinking about what he should do next after seeing the real powers of Akiza.

"I'm afraid this is only the beginning Jaxon," Yusei says as he scouts the duel from the 60-inch screen tv inside the room the other duelists would gather. "She isn't warmed up at all to me. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends this duel next turn."

"We can only watch and see what happens next." Jaxon concludes as they resume watching the duel between Sir Randsborg and Akiza Izinski.

**~ LINEBREAK ~**

"It's your move, Randsborg!" Akiza tells him as he was still trying to figure out how to deal with these thorns surrounding the two duelists.

The crowd began to panic a little as they realize that Akiza Izinski is indeed, The Black Rose. The tales seemed to be right after all. She was standing in front of thousands of fans, exposing her true identity.

Sir Randsborg didn't seem to be stunned, as he prepares to draw his next card to prepare for his upcoming move.

**Turn 3: Randsborg**

**Akiza – 2600 LP**

**Randsborg – 4000 LP**

"Mine turn! I draw!" Randsborg yells at the top of his lungs, showing no fear despite the witch standing many feet away from him.

"I shall activate mine spell, 'The Warrior Returning Alive'! It has the power to return mine monsters from beyond the dark veil of the grave!" Randsborg claims while returning a monster card to his hand from his graveyard.

"Masked Knight Lvl 3, rejoin thy field!" He yells as Masked Knight reappears in front of the armor-plated knight.

Before he knew it, Akiza's 'Black Garden starts to shoot out thorns towards 'Masked Knight Lvl 3', grabbing nearly every part of the knight's monster from head to toe. The poor knight looked like he was being strangled.

"Huh, what be this?" Randsborg asks, not knowing what just happened.

"This is the power of my Black Garden!" Akiza responds, "While this 'Black Garden' is on the field, all monsters that you control are cut in half! Also, when you summon a monster or anytime a monster appears on your side of the field, a rose token is summoned to my field!"

"_Thanks to the 'Black Garden' field spell, Sir Randsborg can't get close to The Black Rose!"_

"Vengeance will be mine!" Randsborg yells out, as he activates the effect of 'Masked Knight Lv3, dealing another 400 points of damage to Akiza.

"You yield?" Randsborg asks Akiza.

"Not with my Doppelganger trap card in play!" Akiza answers back, "When this trap card is in play, whatever damage I took from your monster, you take the same amount of damage!"

"Take this, you big tin can!" Akiza yells while Randsborg takes the same amount of damage he dealt to Akiza just a minute ago.

All of a sudden, a little scratch begins to form on the right side of Randsborg's face. Leo, who was in the stands, recognized the tear from afar.

"Uh guys, a scar just appeared on his face!" Leo screams. "The Black Rose does do real damage!"

The group started to panic in fear that the knight may was hurt as a result of the damage he took. However, he took a tissue of kleenex, wiped the scar with some liquid, and shook the pain off as if the effect didn't damage him at all.

"Tis but a mere scratch, a power scare not of this brave warrior!" Randsborg says while finishing the last touches of quick treatment to his tiny wound. "But Witch, you shall pay!"

Witch, a word that Akiza didn't like at all when being called one. She looked down for a few seconds, thinking about what the knight said. She went through a lot as a young girl, searching for a new home while finding answers through dueling others in her path.

People would always run away from her, as they thought she would bring them the destruction along the way.

Akiza then calmly raised her head but looked at Sir Randsborg quite angrily.

"Be careful who you call a witch…" Akiza quietly tells Randsborg in response. She tried to keep her emotions in check even though it was challenging for her to do so. The knight called her that name in front of everyone watching, and she couldn't wait to pay him back.

"A threat? You shall pay dearly for that!" Randsborg yells back at Akiza while getting ready to make the final move of his turn.

"I place two cards face down! That ends Thy turn!" Randsborg says.

**Turn 4: Akiza**

**Akiza – 2200 LP**

**Randsborg – 3600 LP**

"It's my turn!" Akiza yells. "For starters, I activate the equip spell, 'Mark of the Rose,' which allows me to take a monster on your side of the field and take control of it."

"Masked Knight, what do you think about joining me?" Akiza asks as 'Masked Knight Lv3' jumps towards on Akiza's field, not to attack, but to bow in front of his new master.

"Mr. Randsborg, it looks like your knight has sworn its allegiance to me!" Akiza says. "And Masked Knight, I think it's time for your former master to feel the sting of your betrayal. Attack!"

'Masked Knight then turns around towards his former master in armor, and proceeds to jump while having his sword in position to strike down Randsborg's life points. Randsborg raises his shield in defense, ready to take the blow as the monster strikes the knight's shield. While he didn't physically damage Randsborg, he did so in another way by taking out a big chunk of Sir's life points by taking them down to 2850.

"Next, I activate the equip spell, 'Vengeful Servant' on my new 'Masked Knight.' Now when your knight returns to your field at the end of my turn, you lose life points, one for each of his attack points!" Akiza yells out towards the battered knight, who looked like a little servant compared to the beginning of the duel.

"You don't dare!" Randsborg yells out.

"Oh no, I do dare!" Akiza responds. "Looks like it's the end of my turn. Masked Knight, why don't you go back to your home and show the real power of my Vengeful Servant, now take down his life points!"

Randsborg has yet to take a big attack from Akiza, that changes, however, as 'Masked Knight' returns to Sir's field and slashes his sword at Randsborg, knocking him down to the ground, while taking away some life points with it.

"_This rose has thorns! In just one turn, she has erased Randsborg's lead like it was absolutely nothing! Can Randsborg recover in time?"_

"You shall suffer my wrath!" Randsborg claims. "For I activate my trap, 'Level Change'! Thy turn is not over witch, for when this trap card is in play, my 'Masked Knight' shall be sacrificed to my yard of graves so that a brand new noble warrior may take its place! 'Masked Knight Lv5', returneth to my field!"

"It appears you forgot about my 'Black Garden.'" Akiza claps back as a new version of the 'Masked Knight' appears on Randsborg's side of the field. "You see, when a monster is summoned onto your field, it's attack points are cut in half! Then, I get to summon another Rose Token! Now I end my turn."

"Sorceress, you dare enchant my knights with thyne spells? Thyne garden will not be eaten but will fall the same!" Randsborg yells as he draws a card from his deck.

**Turn 5: Randsborg**

**Akiza – 2200 LP**

**Randsborg – 1350 LP**

"Now my knight, you have earned promotion for your brave service against my most ruthless opponent, I shall grant you promotion to a higher level! Come forth, 'Masked Knight Lv7'!" Randsborg says as his knight transforms into another monster that would be not only bigger and stronger but also with heavier armor to withstand attacks from its opponents. Who knows how much it can face at this point.

**Masked Knight Lv7**

**ATK 2900**

**DEF 1800**

**This card cannot be ****Normal Summoned**** or ****Set****. This card can only be ****Special Summoned**** with "****Masked Knight LV5****". ****Once per turn****, you can inflict 1500 ****damage**** to your opponent**.

"Black Garden, do your thing!" Akiza yells as her commands were answered back by wrapping the Masked Knight everywhere it could cover. Soon, the knight was held back by the thorns of Akiza's garden. Sir Randsborg, however, had a plan to free his knight from the garden's traps.

"Thou have covered thy arena in dark leaves, but I shall free my knights from your traps, and your deck shall fall before my might! Randsborg yells out in defiance as he takes out a spell card from his hand, hoping that the card he plays will win him the duel and have him move on to the next round to face Jaxon, who was watching from the back. "Now behold, my 'Glory Shield'! With it, my Masked Knight shall be unaffected by any of your spells. Now my Masked Knight, strike down thy maiden's life points!"

Sir's knight then strikes down one of Akiza's rose tokens, bringing her down to 1550.

"And now I shall use my shield's effect, destroying doppelganger!" Randsborg then wisely destroys the trap card in play, as when Akiza were to take effect damage, she would inflict the same amount of damage to Randsborg, causing him to lose the duel.

"With the trap now extinguished, my Masked Knight is now free to use its effect most special!" Randsborg claims out as his knight uses its effect to blast a ray at Akiza, causing her to drop to a very mere 50 life points.

"_Only 50 life points left! This duel is all but over. It's an encore; it's a party with no music. It's the closing credits!"_

"I end mine turn!" Randsborg says confidently as he now holds a comfortable lead over Akiza, in which has already begun to plan her next move.

"Any last words? For you shall suffer my knight's wrath, you shall be sent to the gallows for your troubles!"

"Yeah, I got some last words. This duel is over!" Akiza responds.

"Liar!" Randsborg yells out in response to Akiza.

**Turn 6: Akiza**

**Akiza - 50 LP**

**Randsborg – 1350 LP**

"So, what to do? I think I'll destroy my Black Garden!"Akiza says. At the same time, the thorns of her garden start to dry up quickly and collapse to the ground. Her rose tokens also are destroyed as a result of this effect.

"What's this? Trickery?" Randsborg asks.

"Trickery? No, strategy? Yes!" Akiza answers back., "You got learn what's behind these roses! By destroying my Black Garden along with my rose tokens, I get to special summon a monster from my graveyard that has an equal amount to the number of attack points of my three rose tokens combined!"

"_Now, if my math is correct, Akiza has sacrificed enough life points to special summon from the graveyard, the Black Rose Dragon!"_

"Now, say hello to my Black Rose Dragon!" Akiza yells as her dragon is resurrected from her graveyard and reappears on her field just as powerful as she was earlier when she was initially summoned.

"You indeed are a fool, my lady, perhaps you should go tend to my gardens after I win this duel!"Randsborg claims, feeling like he has the win in the books. Akiza, however, has a different plan in store for the knight.

"Due to my Black Rose Dragon's special ability, by removing a plant monster from my graveyard, your monster's attack points go to zero!" Akiza yells as her dragon swallows up the essence of Randsborg's knight, rendering the poor knight powerless and open for a final attack for Akiza to commence!

" But, you can't do that to me!" Randsborg complains. "It is not fair! I spent a whole year making this costume. I'm not supposed to lose!"

"Well, too bad!" Akiza yells back." You should realize that it doesn't matter on what is on the outside, but it's what that's inside that truly counts!"

Randsborg now felt powerless against The Black Rose. He whimpers in fear as he knows he is about to lose the duel in front of the many in attendance.

"I wanna go home. Take it easy on me!" Randsborg whimpers as he shakes violently.

"I am taking it easy! Black Rose Dragon, end this duel!" Akiza yells as one attack from her dragon ends the day for Sir Randsborg.

Everyone in the stadium was shocked that Akiza came out victorious, fearing that the worse has yet to come out of The Black Rose. Some fans within the crowd taunted Akiza after she was declared the winner by the announcer.

Akiza then slowly walked off the dueling stage with security escorting her just in case someone from the crowd decided to go crazy and jump the barricade.

The crowd began to start some loud chants toward Akiza while she was escorted out. Some chants were even as harsh as: "You're a freak!" "Get her out!" "You're a danger!".

Akiza didn't seem to be bothered by the crowd's chants; she knew the people didn't understand her past and how she got her physic powers. It wasn't worth going after the crowd, and after all, she has one supporter: Sayer, who was waiting for her inside.

"Excellent work Akiza, you made the Arcadia Movement proud with your effort today against that foolish wannabe knight" Sayer tells Akiza. "While your work here is not yet complete, you have already proven to yourself that you can compete with the others. I'm proud of you for how far you have gotten."

"Thank you, Sayer. However, I don't think my performance against Randsborg was my best." Akiza responds. "My next opponent will be the one who will bring out the witch that is inside me, waiting to break out of its cell."

"Are you talking about the guy in the red outfit who confronted you in the hallway before your duel?" Sayer asks.

"Yes." Akiza answers back. "His name is Jaxon, one of the top-ranked duelists in the world behind Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas. He is known for being one of the few remaining duelists who has stuck to the original dimension forms of summoning, which is known as 'Ritual Summoning.'".

Sayer looked confused for a second, not knowing how a duelist like Jaxon could withstand such competition that has evolved at a rapid pace. His confused look, however, quickly dissipated and turned into a confident look, knowing that he probably had no experience of mastering the 'Synchro Summoning' method.

"So, your opponent can only do one form of dimension summoning? If so, this should be an easy walk in the park towards the championship round!" Sayer claims as he laughs at the thought of Akiza destroying the young duelist with ease in his head.

"He's not who you think he is, Sayer." Akiza quickly tells him. "He knows all of the summoning methods, and in fact, he's mastered all of them! He prefers to stick to ritual summoning as the deck he possesses as of now, has catapulted him to where he is now; the top rankings of the world."

Sayer's confident look once again quickly fades, just as his confused look did just a minute ago. He thought about Jaxon and how he duels, but it would be tough to think about since he has never seen him duel before.

"Is there anything else that you know about this Jaxon kid?" Sayer asks Akiza.

"This is more of a personal side of himself, but what I've heard was that he was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age. This genetic disorder affected his social life as he spent more time alone rather than with his friends, however, from what I have heard was that he used that alone time to study his deck and his opponents to the point where he knows what cards they could be playing, in which he can develop a strategy to counter the moves his opponents would make."

"I feel bad for the poor kid, maybe that's the reason why his outburst to the crowd was surprising to everyone watching." Sayer adds as Akiza continues to think about something else that could affect her duel against Jaxon.

"I wouldn't say that Sayer." Akiza responds. "He is a normal human being, just like most people, just a little different. He's also one of the smartest duelists out there, so I need to be careful about what I play against him."

"Whatever happens out there, always remember one thing Akiza, you should be proud of how far you are in this tournament. I don't care if you win, lose or if it somehow ends in a draw, duel as hard as you can, and show this Jaxon kid who you truly are!"

"Yes, Sayer." Akiza responds. "I will do my best and do whatever it takes to win this duel, even if I have to shake the whole stadium full of innocent people."

Both Sayer and Akiza proceed to their private rooms away from the other duelists to not give away their strategies and tips to other duelists who could hear them from afar.

**~LINEBREAK~**

Jaxon was quite impressed with Akiza's performance against Sir Randsborg; however, not to the point of total shock as he knew Akiza was powerful enough to win despite being fifty life points away from losing.

Jaxon then turned towards his deck he assembled in preparation for his duel with Akiza in the next round, although it would be almost another hour and a half before they would duel as Jaxon would have to wait until the conclusion of Yusei vs. Grieger.

Jaxon didn't care; he wanted to make sure he had the right cards in his deck sooner rather than later.

He then took out his ace monster, "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" from his deck and held it close to himself.

"_Cerulean, You are my favorite monster out of everyone else." _He thought to himself. "_This upcoming duel may be my most difficult one as of yet, but I believe that with you in the deck that I constructed, I will prevail in the end. After all, I'm not only doing this for myself but for my parents, who are no longer with me today. They want me to become champion one day, and this is the time that I make their promise become a reality."_

Jaxon, on the verge of tears thinking about his late parents, closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back on an emotional breakdown. A few seconds pass, Yusei walks in on Jaxon, crying ever so slightly. He felt uncomfortable at first, seeing a familiar face in tears before his big moment. He walked over towards Jaxon in an attempt to comfort the teary-eyed duelist.

"Jaxon?" Yusei asks.

Jaxon then felt scared at the moment Yusei spoke to him, not knowing he entered the room a few seconds ago.

"Oh, Hi Yusei. Are you ready for your duel against Grieger?" Jaxon asks as he tries to forget about what just happened for him not to get awkwardly uncomfortable in front of the person he looked up to when he started dueling competitively.

"Yeah, I was going to check up on my duel runner to see if everything was running correctly. You need a proper working duel runner to turbo duel, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's true!" Jaxon says back.

While Yusei checked on his duel runner, he could tell that Jaxon was going through something just by looking at his eyes, which were filled with salt-watered tears.

"Hey, Jaxon, are you ok?" Yusei asks, concerned at Jaxon's state.

"Yeah, I'm good." Jaxon responds. "Just got a little choked up in my thoughts."

"Your thoughts?" Yusei asks, being curious as to what the reason was for Jaxon to be in tears for a moment.

"Thoughts of my parents, to be exact."

"Your parents?" Yusei says, "What about your parents?"

Tears once again filled Jaxon's watery eyes at the thoughts of his parents, who were no longer alive. He could barely speak at this point, as the emotions were getting to him.

"M- My parents that passed away quite some time ago." Jaxon cries out slightly while fighting back the tears as best as he could. "Mom and Dad were my number one fans; they were so proud of me for how much I have done as a duelist. They wanted me to become champion of dueling one day, and I worked so hard to do that. They were so proud of me!"

Yusei, initially shocked, calmly asked Jaxon what happened.

"What happened?" Yusei calmly asks Jaxon.

"Well, my parents near the ends of their life didn't have the most fabulous relationship. My father turned into an alcoholic after being broke, and my mother turned into a drug addict, leaving me to support my parents since they couldn't help themselves. Dad ended up dying due to alcohol poisoning, and mom later died due to an opioid overdose."

Yusei couldn't believe what he heard, most likely because he also had his father who died due to an unknown reason.

"Damn, is this true?" Yusei asks.

Jaxon shook his head up and down, not wanting to talk about the situation any more than he wants to.

"I- I don't know what to say." Yusei adds while being shaken himself after hearing what Jaxon had to say.

"I know man; it's tough to hear that, especially if it was your parents that died." Jaxon said, wiping his eyes with a tissue.

"I'm truly sorry for what you've been through bro." Yusei said while Jaxon took one more look at his deck.

"You don't need to apologize Yusei. It's been a while since they passed away. I want to make them proud, that's all."

"Jaxon, you already made them proud. You're dueling in the fortune cup, a tournament only accessible to the top-ranked duelists in the world! I bet they're looking down on you and are so proud of how far you have become since they left this world."

"I know they are proud, but I remember one thing they said to me before everything went downhill. They told me that I should become the champion of dueling. That's why I'm here mostly, to make their promise come true."

Yusei didn't know what to say after that; he tried to come up with what to say next, only to be speechless in the end. Yusei hadn't been with a duelist with a true purpose as much as Jaxon.

"Jaxon, I respect you." Yusei says.

"I respect you as well. Good Luck out there in your duel." Jaxon says back as Yusei walks towards his duel runner and starts the engine.

Yusei gives Jaxon a mere salute before driving off towards the duel runner stage as to show proof of respect for his purpose of becoming champion.

Jaxon can now only watch and wait until his duel with Akiza, the very person he confronted in the hallway before her first duel in the fortune cup.

"_New Domino City, get ready because I'm taking down the Black Rose, and no one is gonna stand in my way!"_


	6. Chapter 5: Rise of the Phoenix

**Chapter 5: Rise of the Phoenix**

He sat alone on the couch, witnessing the conclusion of Yusei's turbo duel against Greiger, who recently beat Leo to face Yusei in the next round. This duel he was watching made him feel better after being in tears and Yusei lifting his spirit about an hour before.

Jaxon knew he was alone, so he could afford to let out some emotion since he loved how this duel panned out. He was rooting for Yusei, which was odd in a way since there was a chance Jaxon could face him for the opportunity to duel Jack Atlas in the championship duel. All that was standing in his way was Akiza Izinski.

"_Yusei, you never take a chance to disappoint me. Can't wait to face you after I beat the Black Rose." _He thought to himself as the duel concluded.

Yusei had beaten Greiger, and he beat him without using his ace monster 'Stardust Dragon.'. In which Jaxon thought to be curious because he would believe that Yusei would use his ace monster this deep into the tournament.

"_I guess he's saving Stardust Dragon for either Jack or myself." _He mumbled.

His eyes then focused on Grieger's duel runner that stopped as a result of the loss. His look of excitement turned into concern as Grieger was on the ground catching his breath. He could barely hear what the two duelists were talking about after the duel ended. Was it congrats? Was it trash talk? Jaxon didn't know until the microphone chipped in on the duel runners caught the dialogue between the two.

"Yusei, I'm fine, but it's not over!" Greiger claims. The sounds of Greiger's voice starts to ring throughout the stadium. Everyone in the crowd points their attention towards the two duelists gathered together near the finish line.

"I was hoping to do things differently, but if it has to happen like this, then so be it. I told you about my village Yusei, I told you about the fire and the destruction, but I learned the truth. Godwin isn't going to help me rebuild my village as he promised!" Greiger yells as some in attendance gasped at the truth. "How could he if it isn't there anymore?"

Yusei didn't know about this earlier. He looked shocked to hear the words out of Greiger's mouth and about Rex Godwin's broken promise.

"What do you mean?" Yusei asks.

"Look!" Greiger yells back as he points to a screen near the center of the stadium showing his village. "That was my village before Godwin came along!"

"I hacked into Godwin's files before the duel and discovered it wasn't a natural disaster, but Godwin decided to use our village as a testing ground to resurrect his 'precious' Crimson Dragon, but he couldn't control the energy it was too powerful!"

The screen then showed a bright beam of light encircling the whole village, destroying everything in its path and leaving a massive crater behind it. The crowd was nearly in a state of shock, witnessing what happened to Greiger's village.

"The village was gone, everyone was gone! Vanished, no one to be found!" Greiger yells out.

Yusei was shocked, yet curious if Greiger hacked and saw the files himself. It would be usual for someone like Greiger to have the technical skills to hack into someone personal account and seek data that they hope to receive.

"Greiger, are you sure you saw those files?" Yusei asks, questioning Greiger's certainty.

"I saw the files myself; I'm certain about it Yusei." Greiger responds. He then looked at the top of the tower, hovering over the stadium where Rex Godwin was looking down on the action.

Despite what Greiger said about the village and Godwin on resurrecting the Crimson Dragon, he wasn't stunned as many others would think he would be. He believed that no one would believe Greiger's story since he didn't have the precise and physical proof to prove that Godwin indeed destroyed Greiger's village.

"Godwin, you're going to answer for all of your lies!" Greiger yells at Godwin as he runs towards his duel runner. He fires up the engine and proceeds to accelerate at full speed around the track.

Yusei tried to stop Greiger in his tracks, but it was too late.

"Greiger!" Yusei yells in an attempt to halt Greiger and prevent him from doing something that could be dangerous not only for himself but to the rest of the fans inside the stadium.

"Now that the world knows what you did, it's time for you to pay!" Greiger yells out while traveling full speed around the track. "For my friends, my family, and my home, your ivory tower is about to come tumbling down Godwin!"

Jaxon, who was watching on a TV screen inside, couldn't believe what he was seeing. He knew this wouldn't end well for Greiger, as going after a prominent popular figure as Godwin is, would look horrible on him not only as a duelist but as a person as well.

"_What is he doing? What the fuck is he thinking?!" _He thought to himself as he saw Greiger start to wallride along the protection wall on the track.

Yusei couldn't afford to have a tragedy take place in a tournament; he knew he had to do something. He got on his duel runner, accelerated around, and sped up to the point where he could lift off and cross paths with Greiger in mid-air. This was risky, but it was the only way to stop Greiger.

"Greiger, no!" Yusei yells as he launches himself towards Greiger, who wants launching his duel runner towards where Godwin was standing. Greiger saw Yusei at the corner of his eye and couldn't believe someone was preventing him from possibly ending Godwin.

Both duel runners then collided in mid-air, causing them to fall to the track's gravel below. Godwin let out a sigh of relief, thinking he was safe for now. However, he saw something that looked like an RPG-7 missile to his left homing towards him, Lazar, and Jack Atlas.

Rex Godwin didn't move one muscle, continuing to look at the projectile that's about to hit the window panes.

The missile eventually crashes into the tower, causing everyone nearby to take cover. The next thing they saw was something they would never likely see ever again. They saw Godwin catching the projectile in his glove covered hand like it was nothing.

The projectile eventually was one of Greiger's custom wheel decorations that looked like projectiles to pose intimidation to his opponents.

Rex Godwin continued to hold the missile while it was still spinning, causing his glove to rip apart, exposing his robotic hand and parts of his arm that no one knew he had. The missile soon stopped spinning, causing Godwin to drop it to the ground. Jack and Lazar, with their eyes wide open, were caught off guard that Godwin was able to withstand such enormous amounts of force caused by the incoming object.

Greiger and Yusei both crashed to the ground, nearly battered but surprisingly not too injured. Angrily, Greiger ran towards Yusei, who was lying on the ground recuperating from the fall. He grabbed Yusei by his collar and yelled at Yusei in pure hatred.

"Yusei, how could you? I had him in my sights!" Greiger yelled.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what happened to your village, but going after Godwin won't solve anything!" Yusei responds.

"But- but my village, my friends, my family…"

Greiger couldn't control himself; he wanted revenge for his village and everyone he knew. He let out a huge roar, cursing the name of Godwin.

Rex Godwin saw this as an opportunity to calm the situation. His image suddenly appeared on the enormous screens to catch the attention of the fans.

"Dear fellow people of New Domino City, what we saw just now is an example of a duelist suffering an emotional breakdown after a tough loss." Godwin says. "We will make sure he gets the help he deserves."

Moments later, some sector security guards came over and put Greiger in cuffs, arresting him.

"Godwin is going to make sure you pay for your actions!" One of the guards screams out as they take Greiger away.

**~LINEBREAK~**

After witnessing what just happened, Jaxon proceeded to go over his deck one final time to make sure he had the right cards in his deck. He wanted to focus on his upcoming match with Akiza. However, he still couldn't get the thought of what Greiger attempted to do outside of his head.

"_What was he thinking? Did he know that going after a guy like Godwin has serious repercussions? Such a shame he did that in front of those people. Maybe if he didn't attempt to commit a crime, then he wou-"_

Jaxon's thoughts stopped for a second; he knew that he needed to wipe those thoughts away, as this could lead to him losing to Akiza if he isn't focusing on his upcoming duel.

"_No, I can't let what happened earlier distract me. I have a duel to get ready for!"_

Before he makes his way to the dueling area, he pulls out his cards, making sure that everything in his deck was there for his duel.

Jaxon then puts his deck inside his deck case, grabs his duel disk, and heads toward the dueling area. Just before he leaves the room, he sees a figure to his right; it was Akiza.

She saw Jaxon as soon as he appeared outside of the doorway, stopping her in her tracks. Both of them stared at each other for a moment before Jaxon broke the awkward silence.

"Akiza, good luck out there." Jaxon tells Akiza. Her reaction to Jaxon's words was surprising, considering that the last exchange between the two duelists nearly resulted in disaster.

"Good luck to you too." Akiza responds. "Hopefully, my psychic powers won't hurt you too much after I win this duel."

Jaxon nearly giggled in an attempt to shake off the slight insult. All of a sudden, the mark on his arm that appeared earlier during Akiza's duel with Sir Randsborg started to glow again. Akiza's mark had also glowed, revealing herself as a signer.

Even though both Jaxon and Akiza had marks along their arms, Jaxon's mark looked different compared to the other duelists who had marks, like Yusei and Akiza. Yusei's and Akiza's marks represented different parts of the Crimson Dragon, while Jaxon's mark had a full figure of a phoenix type bird.

Jaxon took another look at his mark. He then realized that the mark looked like one of the cards he owned. He took out his ace monster 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' from his deck to confirm his suspicions, only to be stunned by the fact that his mark indeed represented 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.'. He wanted answers as to why these marks are appearing in the first place.

"Akiza, do you know why these marks are appearing all of a sudden?" He asks.

"I'm not so sure." Akiza answers. "However, I believe it is nothing but a mere curse, unfortunately. The marks are bringing us together so that we can suffer together."

"What makes you say that?" Jaxon asks back. "Are you saying that because of what you have been through all these years?"

"Once again, I'm not sure exactly." Akiza says to Jaxon. "But I can't focus on that right now. The only thing I'm focused on right now is beating you and moving on to face Yusei in the finals."

Akiza then walks away while holding her arm in an attempt to squeeze the pain away. Jaxon stood still, worried about Akiza's mental state. He hopes that his duel with her will find answers that he seeks, especially why his mark was different compared to the other marks.

Jaxon then walks to the stage area where he would appear in front of the crowd, expecting a significant amount of boos as the two duelists would emerge from under the stage. He was ready for this moment, and he knew what he said during the opening ceremony would not rest well with the fans. Jaxon thought to himself one final time before being risen to the stage floor.

"_New Domino City, let's have some fun., shall we?"_

**~LINEBREAK~**

After it seemed like an hour of waiting, the next duel was about to start. The fans were guaranteed to get a good contest here, as the two duelists so far are not well-liked among fans in attendance. This duel would be a near villain vs. villain fight, except these two weren't villains, but misunderstood adults.

There were many reasons why the Fortune Cup labeled these two as controversial duelists. Before the tournament started, Jaxon went on a viral rant on the crowd for booing Yusei because of his satellite mark on his face. He mentioned that the people of New Domino City made the city more of a dump than the satellite sector ever would be, which got the fans even more mad as a result.

Fortunately for Akiza, she wasn't hated on immediately. Earlier, she was presumed to be calm and collected, that was until she summoned her Black Rose Dragon. That was the moment the fans started to turn on her and proceeded to view her as dangerous and cruel.

The fans in the stadium didn't know which duelist to root for. You have one duelist who trashed the people of New Domino City, and another for nearly destroying parts of the stadium. It almost seemed like they wanted not to watch because they thought that regardless of who wins, they would lose to Yusei Fudo.

Jaxon was all set and ready to be risen and appear in front of the fans, expecting boos from a majority of them. Before the door closes, he hears a voice and some footsteps behind him. He turned around to see who it was; it was Yusei.

"Jaxon. Be careful out there." Yusei says while breathing hard. It seemed like he ran pretty quickly to get where Jaxon was. While getting set, Jaxon nodded back towards Yusei.

"I will," Jaxon responds. "It may be my toughest match yet, but I promise you, I will prevail."

"I hope you do. Good Luck." Yusei adds.

"Thanks, Yusei," Jaxon says one more time before closing the door and rising towards the stage, ready to duel The Black Rose.

**~LINEBREAK~**

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, this next duel is a battle between two controversial yet influential duelists the world has ever seen! Now let's meet our two duelists!"_

"_Introducing first, dueling from the blue corner, this duelist is a plant specialist, she holds a perfect record and considered to be one of the most mysterious duelists New Domino City has seen! She also defeated Sir Randsborg in her last match! Ladies and Gentlemen, let's hear it for the duelist known as The Black Rose, Akiza Izinski!"_

As expected, the crowd did not favor The Black Rose as the majority of the fans booed her, called her names, and some even left their seats in fear of the witch. Sayer, who was looking from beyond, smiled as she appeared from underground.

"Go get him Akiza. Show that wannabe duelist that he doesn't belong here!" Sayer says to himself as he smirks.

"_And now, introducing from the red corner, this young man holds a perfect undefeated record. He lives in New Domino City but is out of Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting, the youngest United States dueling champion, and the number 3 ranked duelist in the world, Jaxon 'The Vagabond' Meyer!"_

As Jaxon fully appeared and opened his eyes, he was being met with something he didn't expect; a mixed reaction. That's right; half of the fans were cheering him, hoping for him to beat Akiza, while the other half were booing, still remembering the rant he gave earlier in the day.

"_Well, this is interesting." _Jaxon thought. _"I guess half the fans here aren't so bad after all! I wish everyone else could see the light that half the fans could."_

Both Jaxon and Akiza take out their decks and push them into the disk where the disk automatically shuffles the deck for a few seconds. Jaxon and Akiza were ready; they were ready to show who deserves to face Yusei Fudo in the next round.

This was going to be a tough test for Jaxon, not the duel itself, but dealing with the pressure, anxiety, and tough decisions will prove if Jaxon can beat Akiza, who has yet to be defeated.

"Are you ready Akiza?" Jaxon asks Akiza.

"I'm always ready!" Akiza yells back.

"**DUEL!"**

"Since I'm a gentleman, I'll let you go first, Akiza." Jaxon says.

"How thoughtful. It's my turn then!"

**TURN 1: Akiza**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 6 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 4000 LP – 5 cards in hand**

"I draw!" Akiza yells. "First, I summon 'Dark Verger' in defense mode!"

**Dark Verger**

**ATK : 0**

**DEF: 1000**

**When a Plant-Type Tuner monster is Normal Summoned to your side of the field: You can special summon this card from your Graveyard in Attack Position.**

"Next, I place one card face down and end my turn!" Akiza yells as her facedown appears on the ground.

"To be honest, I expected more from your first turn." Jaxon responds to Akiza's move. "However, I shall not get too disappointed as I will show you how a first turn is made!"

**TURN 2: Jaxon**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 4 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 4000 LP – 6 cards in hand**

"I draw! First, I summon 'Disciple of Nephthys' in defense mode!" Jaxon yells out.

**Disciple of Nephthys**

**ATK: 0**

**DEF: 2000**

**During your Main Phase, you can destroy 1 card in your hand, and if you do, add 1 "Nephthys" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Disciple of Nephthys". During your next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed by card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Nephthys Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Disciple of Nephthys" once per turn.**

"Next, I use my Disciple of Nephthys's effect! By destroying one card in my hand, I can add a 'Nephthys' Spell or Trap Card from my deck to my hand! I'll add the Rebirth of Nephthys Ritual Spell from my Deck to my hand!"

"Now I activate the Spell Card, 'Double Summon', which allows me to normal summon a monster a second time! I'll use Double Summon's effect to Normal Summon, 'Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands'!"

**Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands**

**ATK: 1400 **

**DEF: 1000**

**When this card is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned: You can add 1 Ritual Monster or 1 Ritual Spell from your Deck to your hand.**

"Now, I activate Manju's effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can either add 1 Ritual Monster or 1 Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand! I'll add Devotee of Nephthys to my hand!"

"Now, Manju, attack and destroy Akiza's face-down monster!" Jaxon yells as Manju pounces on Akiza's monster, destroying it.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn!"

**TURN 3: Akiza**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 5 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 4000 LP – 3 cards in hand**

"It's my turn now! I draw!" Akiza yells as she draws a card.

"First, I summon the tuner monster, 'Twilight Rose Knight'!"

**Twilight Rose Knight**

**ATK: 1000**

**DEF: 1000**

**Your opponent can't target Plant-Type monsters with attacks. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from your hand.**

"Now, I activate Twilight's special ability! Since she was Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from my hand, and I choose 'Rose Lover'!"

**Rose Lover**

**ATK: 800**

**DEF: 800**

**You can banish this card from your Graveyard; Special Summon 1 Plant-Type monster from your hand, and if you do, it is unaffected by your opponent's Trap effects this turn. You can only use this effect of "Rose Lover" once per turn.**

"Next, I chain Dark Verger's effect from my Graveyard. since I Normal Summoned a monster this turn, I get to special summon it in attack mode!"

Jaxon is now faced with three monsters on Akiza's field. However, they still aren't powerful enough to get through Jaxon's defenses.

"Let me guess, you going to go for a Synchro Summon, aren't you?" Jaxon asks.

"You bet I am!" Akiza responds. Jaxon then realized that Akiza's monsters didn't have enough levels to summon her 'Black Rose Dragon'. Usually, she would go into her 'Black Rose Dragon' early in a duel to gain the advantage.

"Nice moves, it's a shame you can't summon your 'Black Rose Dragon' since your monsters' levels are too low!" Jaxon says.

"You're right; I don't have the right amount of levels to summon my 'Black Rose Dragon. However, that doesn't mean I'm not Synchro Summoning this turn!"

"What?!" Jaxon asked.

"That's right, I'm tuning my Level 3 'Twilight Rose Knight' with my Level 2 'Dark Verger' to Synchro Summon the level 5 Synchro monster, 'Garden Rose Maiden'!"

**Garden Rose Maiden**

**ATK: 1600**

**DEF: 2400**

**If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Black Garden" from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Rose Dragon" monster or 1 Dragon Synchro monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You can only use each effect of "Garden Rose Maiden" once per turn.**

Jaxon never saw this monster before. He didn't even know what this monster could do. The only thing he could right now is to try to figure out what Akiza was going to do next.

"I activate 'Garden Rose Maiden's' special ability!" Akiza yells.

"_Oh great, what does it do?!" _Jaxon thought to himself.

"When this monster is special summoned, I get to add 1 "Black Garden" from my Deck or GY to my hand!" Akiza yells while drawing 'Black Garden' from her deck.

"Next, I'll activate the 'Black Garden' Field Spell!" Akiza says.

Suddenly, the ground shakes, causing Jaxon to fall to the ground due to the emergence of the garden. The field was covered in thorns, something that Jaxon would expect to see, but he didn't know how it would feel to experience it on the stage firsthand.

"I end my turn!" Akiza says as she waits for Jaxon to rise after falling to the ground. Jaxon knew he had to do something

"That was quite impressive I'll say. I underestimated your abilities for a moment, and you took advantage." Jaxon nods. "However, I'm sorry to say this, but your Black Garden will not stop me from winning this duel!"

**TURN 4: Jaxon**

**Akiza – 4000 LP - 3 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 4000 LP – 4 cards in hand**

"Now it's my turn! I draw!" Jaxon yells.

"_Perfect, Cosmic Cyclone! Now I can get rid of the field spell, but I don't want to be so aggressive as she still has a face down that could somehow negate the card that could rid the thorns from the grounds."_

"I could get risky and attempt to salvage this duel if I wanted to, but I'm going to be smart and set another face down and end my turn." Jaxon says calmly and confidently.

"What a letdown of a turn Jaxon, I thought you were known to be aggressive; am I wrong? Or are you scared?" Akiza asks Jaxon.

Jaxon after hearing that made an angry look towards Akiza. He didn't take the question well; he knew he wasn't scared. He just thought that Akiza was trying to get into his head by trash talking him, instead he smirked it off and took the insult like a man.

"There's something called strategy Akiza, maybe you should look it up sometime!" Jaxon responds, nearly talking trash back.

"Whatever Mr. Crimson, it's my turn now!" Akiza yells back.

**TURN 5: Akiza**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 4 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 4000 LP – 3 cards in hand**

"I draw!" Akiza screams while drawing a card. After she draws, she sadistically smiles at Jaxon. Jaxon saw her look change, it didn't seem good for Jaxon as she looked like she drew the card she needed to turn the tides, even though no duelist yet has lost any amount of life points.

"This monster may not be intimidating look wise, but when she's summoned, I'll make sure you pay for not being the duelist everyone thought you were!" She says towards Jaxon who was starring right back at her. "I summon 'Copy Plant'!"

**Copy Plant**

**ATK: 0**

**DEF: 0**

**Once per turn: You can target 1 other Plant-Type monster on the field that has a level; this card's Level becomes that monster's level until the end of the turn.**

After 'Copy Plant' is summoned on to the field, Jaxon started to have thoughts on what was going to happen next. Before he knew it, it was too late.

"I think you know what's next Jaxon." Akiza says. "Now, I tune my Level 5 and my Level 1 Rose Lover with the Level 1 Copy Plant on my field! As a cold flame envelops the world, a black flower blooms! Watch, as I tune my monsters to Synchro Summon a monster you are too familiar with!"

"Come forth, Black Rose Dragon!" Akiza yells as the crowd begins to scream at the appearance of the purple lightning hitting the stage grounds. Winds were picking up to hurricane speeds once again, and the stadium shook even harder than the last time Black Rose Dragon was summoned.

The dragon soon appeared from the lightning, letting out a huge roar towards Jaxon. Surprisingly to most people, he didn't seem to be phased. He was standing tall and being brave, not giving up an inch to the dragon swerving in front of him.

**Black Rose Dragon**

**ATK:2400**

**DEF:1600**

**When this card is ****Synchro Summoned****: You can ****destroy**** all cards on the ****field****. ****Once per turn****: You can ****banish**** 1 ****Plant**** monster from your ****GY****, then ****target**** 1 ****Defense Position**** monster your opponent ****controls****; change that target to ****face-up****Attack Position****, and if you do, its ****ATK**** becomes 0 until the end of this ****turn****.**

There was one thing he forgot about for a second, it was that the Black Garden Field spell made all monsters lose half their attack points when summoned. For a moment, Jaxon was relieved that the dragon's powers were weakened, for now.

"Since Black Rose Dragon was summoned onto my field, a Rose Token appears on your side of the field!" Akiza says as a rose blossoms onto Jaxon's side.

"Now, I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability!" Akiza yells. "By removing a Plant-Type monster from my Graveyard, your Manju's attack points go to 0!"

Akiza then was expecting some reaction from Jaxon, thinking that he didn't know Black Rose Dragon had another effect than just destroying all cards on the field. Jaxon, however, didn't budge and kept starring, thinking about the right time to strike back with a counterattack.

Just like a snap of a finger, Jaxon's Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands' attack points were vanquished. Leaving him wide open to being destroyed by the dragon's wrath.

"Now, Black Rose Dragon, attack his Manju!" Akiza yells. Her dragon opens its mouth, letting out a huge purple fire of destruction upon Jaxon's monster. Once again, Jaxon wasn't fazed by the attack, even though he lost 1200 life points.

"I set a card face down and end my turn. It's your move Jaxon."

"With pleasure!" Jaxon yells back.

**TURN 6: Jaxon**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 3 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 2800 LP – 4 cards in my hand**

"I draw a card from my deck and activate the spell card, Night Beam!" Jaxon says while activating and revealing the card to Akiza.

"What?" Akiza asks.

"When Night Beam is activated, I can target one set card you control and destroy it! And don't even think about touching that card, because due to its effect, you can't activate it in response to this effect!" Jaxon yells.

"You'll pay for that!" Akiza screams.

"I'm guessing I destroyed a card you were going to need right? Well too bad!" Jaxon says. "I could care less about how you were going to play those cards. I know your patterns and how you play your cards, and it's time for you to witness your fall!"

I summon, Defender of Nephthys from my hand!

**Defender of Nephthys**

**ATK: 1400**

**DEF: 200**

**During your ****Main Phase****: You can ****destroy**** 1 card in your ****hand****, and if you do, ****Special Summon**** 1 ****Level**** 4 or lower "****Nephthys****" ****monster**** from your hand, except "Defender of Nephthys". During your next ****Standby Phase**** after this card was destroyed by card ****effect**** and ****sent**** to the GY: You can destroy 1 "Nephthys" monster in your ****Deck****, except "Defender of Nephthys". You can only use each effect of "Defender of Nephthys" ****once per turn****.**

"You know what happens next." Jaxon claims. "Since I summoned a monster on my field, a Rose Token appears on your side of the field!"

"Next, I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards from my deck!" Jaxon yells while drawing. Jaxon looked at the cards he drew, in response, he smiled. He drew the cards he needed to turn the duel to his favor. All he needed to do was execute his plan.

"Next, I activate 'Last Hope of Nephthys'! Which allows me to destroy 1 "Nephthys" card I control and in exchange, I get to destroy 1 monster on your side of the field!"

"Ugh!" Akiza growled in surprise. Her Black Rose Dragon was her only monster on her field. If it were to be destroyed, she would be wide open for a direct attack. Akiza had to figure something out in order to prevent her dragon from being destroyed!

"Not so fast Jaxon!" Akiza yells.

"Hmm?" Jaxon hums surprisingly.

"I activate my Counter Trap, 'Dark Bribe'!" Akiza yells as she reveals the card she set in one of her previous turns,

"Well this sucks." Jaxon responds.

"Oh don't worry red boy, this Counter Trap may be negating your 'Last Hope of Nephthys' spell card, but here's the good news. You get to draw another card!" Akiza says. "You should thank me for the gift!"

"Thanks for the free card, Akiza." Jaxon said while smiling. "I probably should thank you more than I did, because the card I drew just made my winning chances increase even more!"

"You must be bluffing." Akiza says.

"How bout I prove to you that I'm not bluffing?" Jaxon adds back.

"I activate 'Rebirth of Nephthys'!" Jaxon then yells out. "I send my Level 2 'Disciple of Nephthys' to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon the Level 2 monster, 'Devotee of Nephthys'!"

**Devotee of Nephthys**

**ATK: 1200**

**DEF: 1200**

**You can ****Ritual Summon**** this card with "****Rebirth of Nephthys****". You can only use each of the following ****effects**** of "Devotee of Nephthys" ****once per turn****  
****● If this card is Ritual Summoned: You can ****Special Summon**** 1 "****Nephthys****" ****monster**** from your ****Deck****, also ****destroy**** this card during the ****End Phase****.****  
****● If this card is in your ****GY****: You can destroy 1 "Nephthys" card in your ****hand****, and if you do, Special Summon this card.**

Akiza on the other side was expecting Jaxon's ace monster to appear. When she saw Jaxon monster being summoned, she giggled just a little to not make it obvious. At the same time, another Rose Token appeared on Akiza's side, while Devotee's attack points were cut in half

"Um, Jaxon?" Akiza asks. "Is that your ace monster? If so, I guess the card you drew wasn't momentum swinging after all!"

Jaxon nearly laughed at Akiza's statement.

"You can giggle all you want witch, but the effects of this monster are something you want to pay close attention to!" Jaxon yells out, "When Devote of Nephthys is Ritual Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Nephthys' monster from my Deck!"

"Huh?!" Akiza says, who was caught off guard. "You can Special Summon ANY Nephthys monster?

"That's right Akiza!" Jaxon says back. "And the monster I choose to special summon will be the Level 8 monster, 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys'!"

**Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys**

**ATK: 2400**

**DEF: 1600**

**Once per turn, during your next ****Standby Phase**** after this card was ****destroyed**** by a ****card effect**** and ****sent**** to the ****GY****: ****Special Summon**** this card from the GY. If you do: Destroy all ****Spells**** and ****Traps**** on the ****field****.**

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys soon appears on the field, but he is soon restrained by the Black Garden and as a result, it's attack points are cut in half to 1200, which was equal to the Black Rose's attack points.

"Nice moves, unfortunately, my Black Garden will keep restraining your monsters and will keep summoning more rose tokens!" Akiza yells to Jaxon.

"Well it's too bad I have this face down I can activate!" Jaxon says back while revealing one of his set cards that was on the field.

"I reveal my Spell card, Cosmic Cyclone! Now by paying 1000 life points, I get to banish a Spell or Trap card on the field. Say good-bye to your Black Garden Field spell!"

As soon as Cosmic Cyclone activates, Akiza's Black Garden starts to turn black, eventually breaking apart to the ground. The thorns soon disappear from the stage, leaving a clear-eye view of the two duelists in battle.

The monsters may be free from the Black Garden, however due to the Black Garden's effect, the monsters still deal with their attack points cut in half.

"Now Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack and destroy Black Rose Dragon!" Jaxon screams.

"Black Rose Dragon, counterattack!" Akiza yells back. Since both Jaxon and Akiza's monsters had the same amount of attack points, both monsters are destroyed.

"I'll enter my End Phase." Jaxon says. "While in my end phase, Devotee of Nephthys is destroyed and sent to the graveyard. With that, I end my turn."

**TURN 7: Akiza**

**Akiza – 4000 LP- 4 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 1800 LP – 1 card in hand**

"It looks like it's my turn. I draw!" Akiza says. "I think it's time we make this duel interesting. First, I summon 'Phoenixian Seed' to my field!"

**Phoenixian Seed**

**ATK: 800**

**DEF: 0**

**You can ****send**** this ****face-up**** card to the ****Graveyard**** to ****Special Summon**** 1 "****Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis****" from your ****hand****.**

"Next, I tribute my Phoenixian Seed in order to special summon, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"

**Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis**

**ATK: 2200**

**DEF: 0**

**This card cannot be ****Special Summoned**** except with its own ****effect**** or with "****Phoenixian Seed****". If this card ****attacks****, it is ****destroyed**** after ****damage calculation****. If this card you ****control**** is destroyed and ****sent**** to the ****Graveyard****, inflict 800 ****damage**** to your opponent. During your ****End Phase****, you can ****remove from play**** 1 ****Plant****-****Type****monster**** from your ****Graveyard**** to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in ****Defense Position****.**

"Now, I activate the Spell card, 'Raging Mad Plants'!" Akiza yells. "This Spell card allows my monsters to gain 300 Attack points for each plant monster in my Graveyard.

"What?!" Jaxon yells back in shock. "300 Attack for each Plant monster in your Graveyard?"

"That's right Jaxon!" Akiza says back to Jaxon. "That means my Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis gains 2100 Attack points! Bringing it up to 4300 Attack points!"

"Holy crap!" Jaxon says in response. _"I need to figure something out quick!"_

"Next, I activate Garden Rose Maiden's effect from my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon Black Rose Dragon from my Graveyard!" Akiza yells, surprising Jaxon.

"Are you kidding me?" Jaxon says as Black Rose Dragon reappears on Akiza's field. The crowd soon started to panic, knowing the Akiza could possibly win this duel with just a few attacks. They didn't want to see another duelist fall to the Black Rose.

"Now, I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! By removing a Plant-type monster from my Graveyard, one of your Rose Tokens loses every single attack point!" Akiza says as she activates her dragons effect."

"Now, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis, attack Jaxon's Rose Token and end this duel!"

Jaxon knew he had to counter attack quick, luckily for him, he had a plan to stop her monster's attack.

"Not so fast Akiza!" Jaxon yells. "I activate the effect of my Bacon Saver from my Graveyard! By banishing it from the Graveyard, your Amaryllis's attack is negated!"

"Well too bad." Akiza says. "At least I still have my Black Rose Dragon to attack with! Go Black Rose Dragon! End this duel!"

"You don't know when to stay down, do you?" Jaxon responds to Akiza's attack.

"Hmm?" Akiza says back." How can you survive an onslaught of attacks from my two monsters?!"

"With this face down of course! I activate Enemy Controller! Jaxon yells. "Now with this card, I can switch your Black Rose Dragon to defense mode to prevent your attack!"

Jaxon was soon relieved that he survived a turn, however, he needed to strike back quickly, otherwise, he could lose this duel and not get the chance to face Jack Atlas in the championship.

"You may have prevented me from ending this duel, but let's see if you can get behind this face-down!"

"Now before I end my turn, due to my Raging Mad Plants Spell card, my Amaryllis is destroyed. It's your turn now!"

**TURN 8: Jaxon**

**Akiza – 4000 LP – 1 card in hand**

**Jaxon – 1800 LP – 2 cards in hand**

"Very well then. I draw!" Jaxon yells as he draws a card from his deck.

"Akiza, I have been so impressed with how far you have come, not only in this duel, but in the whole tournament." Jaxon compliments Akiza. "You taught me a very valuable lesson today, and that lesson is to not take your opponents for granted, even if you know every single pattern your opponent displays. Unfortunately, one of us must lose, and it's not going to be me!"

"First, I activate Phoenix Rebirth! This card allows me to target 3 Nephthys monsters with different names in my Graveyard, shuffle them into the deck, and after, I get to draw 2 cards from my deck!"

"Next, I activate, Pot of Desires!" Jaxon yells. "I banish the top 10 cards of my deck face-down, to draw 2 more cards from my deck!"

"_This is basically it! If I don't draw the right cards I need, my dreams of winning may slip away!"_

"Here goes nothing!" Jaxon then draws from his deck, with his eyes shut. The crowd focuses their attention on the young duelist, hoping that he gets the right cards.

"Haha! Just what I needed!" Jaxon yells. Akiza's confident look started to turn into an anxious, and concerned look, thinking it was possible he could shift the momentum to his favor.

"I activate Devotee's effect from my Graveyard!" He claims out. "By destroying Hand of Nephthys in my hand, I can Special Summon Devotee of Nephthys from my Graveyard in Defense mode! Next, I activate Devotee's other effect! It allows me to special one Nephthys monster from my deck! I'll special summon another Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

The fans in the stadium were starting to cheer the young fellow. Jaxon then started to pick up on the cheers, he was happy they were cheering him, considering the rant he did earlier that made fans did the opposite. The crowd didn't care anymore, they wanted the witch to be defeated so that no one would be hurt anymore.

While Jaxon liked the fact that the crowd was rooting for him, he still needed to keep focus on the duel in front of him. It was that moment where it was time for him to summon a monster he wanted to summon earlier, but now was his chance. Jaxon knew what he had to do.

"Akiza, you're Black Rose Dragon is indeed powerful, don't get me wrong." Jaxon says to Akiza. "However, there is a monster that is even more powerful. One that's more powerful enough to destroy your dragon!"

"What? You must be joking!" Akiza responds "There can't be a monster more powerful than my Black Rose Dragon. Stop messing around!"

"I'm not lying Akiza, what I'm saying is the truth." Jaxon adds. "However, to be safe, I'll switch one of my rose tokens into defense mode."

"It is time. I activate "Rebirth of Nephthys!" Jaxon yells. He could hear the crowd starting to pickup on their cheering, but his focus was on his move and needing to execute it perfectly to have a better chance of winning this duel.

"I tribute one Rose Token, Devotee of Nephthys, and my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys on my field! A phoenix dies in order to be reborn and resurrect stronger and wiser than ever before. Great phoenix, rise from the ashes of your failures, and be reborn to conquer the world! I Ritual Summon, the level 8 Ritual monster, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

**Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys**

**ATK: 3000**

**DEF: 1000**

**You can ****Ritual Summon**** this card with "****Rebirth of Nephthys****". You can only use each of the following ****effects**** of "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" ****once per turn****.****  
****● During your ****Main Phase****: You can ****destroy**** "****Nephthys****" cards in your ****hand**** and/or ****face-up****field****, then destroy an equal number of ****monsters**** your opponent controls.****  
****● During your next ****Standby Phase**** after this card was ****destroyed by battle**** or card effect and ****sent**** to the ****GY****: You can ****Special Summon**** this card from the GY.**

The crowd starts to witness a blue light in the sky, brighter than the full moon. A bird then appears from the light and swings down towards the stadium at a fast pace. The phoenix then swirls around the stadium for a few seconds before landing on the duel stage behind Jaxon. A huge roar rings through the stadium as the great bird appears in its true form.

Before both duelists knew it, their signer marks appeared on their arms. Jaxon and Akiza both grabbed their arms to reduce the temporary pain.

"_This is unbelievable! I can't believe I am witnessing this ladies and gentlemen, two huge sized dragons going at it in New Domino City!"_

"Akiza, I don't know why these marks are appearing, but maybe it's trying to pull us all together, to fight the forces of evil!" Jaxon says as Akiza whimpers in pain.

"Why do you say that?" Akiza asks back. "It can't be that, it's only a curse that we should rid ourselves of!"

"Akiza, it's not what you think it is!" He responds. "These marks are here to help us join forces with one another, I know it! Yusei has one, Jack has one, Luna has one, even I have one!"

Akiza still didn't look convinced on what Jaxon had to say.

"How can you say that though?" She asks. "This mark has brought nothing but pain and agony in my life, and my purpose is to get rid it so I can live a free pain life for all I know!"

"It's not the mark that's causing you pain, it's your physic powers and your mind being manipulated by your leader Sayer!" Jaxon yells out. "The arcadia movement is not what you think it is, it's not the movement that brings people together, but actually rids people with no trace left!"

Akiza started to violently shake after hearing what Jaxon said. She was angry and she had enough of Jaxon's talking as far as she's concerned. Her metal hair holder that was placed on her forehead to keep her long hair in place falls off, revealing the true Akiza.

"You know what? I'm sick of hearing you speak lies that are coming from your mouth!" She angrily yells as her hair extends to her chest. "I'm tired of you mocking my movement I call home, I'm tired of you trying to save yourself, and I'm especially tired of your existence!"

Jaxon knowing that it was still his turn knew what he needed to do, and that was to destroy her Black Rose Dragon.

"Since I summoned Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys by tributing a Ritual monster with the Rebirth of Nephthys ritual spell, I can target and destroy 1 card on the field!"

"What!?" Akiza yelled in shock.

"I use my spell's effect to destroy your Black Rose Dragon!"

Akiza's monster was shortly destroyed by the giant wings of Jaxon's phoenix. Akiza was on the verge of a breakdown and could barely control her temper.

"I'm sorry for what happened in your life, but I must press on. Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack Akiza directly! Blue Flames of Destruction!"

Jaxon then witnessed Akiza being entirely consumed by the blue light emitted by the flames from his monster. Akiza then fell to the ground but got back up not long after.

"It's gone, Black Rose Dragon's gone!" Akiza cries. "I will make you pay for destroying my heart and soul!"

"Well hopefully that attitude of yours can prevent you from making a fatal mistake! I set a card face down and end my turn!"

**TURN 9: Akiza**

**Akiza – 1000 LP – 2 cards in hand**

**Jaxon – 1800 LP – 2 cards in hand**

"I'm done playing games!" Akiza yelled out at the top of her lungs. "I activate Rose Lover's effect from my Graveyard! By banishing her, I can special summon a Plant-type monster from my hand! And I got just the monster in mind… I special summon, Queen Angel of Roses in attack mode!"

**Queen Angel of Roses**

**ATK: 2400**

**DEF: 1300**

**You can ****Tribute Summon**** this card in ****face-up****Attack Position**** by ****Tributing**** 1 ****Plant****-****Type****monster****. Once per ****turn****, during your ****Standby Phase****: ****Destroy**** the 1 ****face-up****monster**** on the ****field**** that has the lowest ****ATK**** (your choice, if tied).**

"Next, I activate the Spell, Thorn of Malice! This card increases my Queen's attack points by 600! And after damage calculation when it attacks, your Cerulean loses 600 ATK!"

"Huh?!" Jaxon says.

"Queen Angel of Roses, attack and destroy Jaxon's Cerulean!" Akiza yells as her Queen slashes and destroys Jaxon's phoenix. Jaxon however, didn't move one bit. He knew he had this duel in the bag, regardless if Akiza won the temporary battle. Akiza got even angrier as she expected Jaxon to be on the ground in pain.

"Why aren't you hurt? Why are my powers not getting to you?" Akiza asked.

"Because I have already won this duel." Jaxon responded. "You underestimated my powers, and because of that, I'm going to make sure you eat your words!"

"You liar!" Akiza yelled back, as soon as she screamed those words, rose colored flames started to form around Akiza, showing her anger on the outside to everyone watching.

"I activate my Trap card, Call of the Haunted, which allows me to Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard, and I choose to Special Summon, Black Rose Dragon!"

Once again, her dragon appears on the field, ready to attack Jaxon and end this duel for Akiza.

"Black Rose Dragon, end this duel once and for all!" Akiza yelled as her dragon got ready to shoot out huge flames from its mouth.

"Hold on Akiza!" Jaxon yells. "I activate my Trap card, Palezoic Canadia!"

"No! Not that card!" Akiza screams out after seeing the trap being revealed from the ground.

"Oh yes this card!" Jaxon responds. "This trap card flips your Black Rose Dragon into face down Defense position and stops your attack!"

Akiza gave everything she had into that move, and it wasn't enough. She soon nearly collapsed to the floor with tears in her eyes. It seemed like Akiza finally ran out of moves.

"It's your move, Jaxon" Akiza says somberly. Jaxon knew Akiza was down and battered. He didn't want to hurt Akiza, but had no choice but to win this duel in order to advance.

**TURN 10: Jaxon**

**Akiza- 1000 LP - 1 card in hand**

**Jaxon – 1800 LP – 3 cards in hand**

"Akiza, you dueled very well today." Jaxon says to Akiza who was still on the ground recovering from the previous turns. "But it's not going to be enough. I activate Cerulean's effect from the Graveyard! Since my Cerulean was destroyed by battle last turn, I can special summon it from the Graveyard in attack mode!"

The crowd knew that Jaxon had only a few moves left before he won the duel, they then started to go crazy for Jaxon. Jaxon then slowly raised his hand towards his monster to activate its effect in what perhaps would be for the final time in this duel.

"By destroying 2 Nephthys cards in my hand, I can destroy 2 cards you control, and I choose to destroy your Queen Angel of Roses, and your face down Black Rose Dragon!"

Cerulean once again used its powerful wings to whiplash Akiza's monsters into oblivion. Before Jaxon proceeded to the battle phase, Akiza stood up and spoke to Jaxon to reach out before moving on with his attack. She wanted to say something, but almost sounded to heartbroken to say anything.

"Jaxon…" Akiza softly said.

"Akiza?" Jaxon responded back with a concerned look.

"Please, end this duel. I can't duel anymore…" She says while tears flowed down her face. Jaxon nearly cried himself after seeing Akiza in the state she was in. He knew he had to put her out of her misery.

"Very well then." Jaxon said back. "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack Akiza directly, and end this duel!"

It didn't take long for Cerulean to rise and shoot out its blue flames towards Akiza. Her life points were shattered; the Black Rose, had lost.

**DUEL END**

**Akiza – 0 LP**

**Jaxon – 1800 LP**

**Duel Winner: Jaxon**

"_Unbelievable! I have never seen a duel so dramatic, uplifting, back and forth, and exhilarating like this duel we have witnessed here today! Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for our winner, America's champion, Jaxon "The Vagabond" Meyer!_

After the announcement came, he looked up towards the tower where Jack Atlas was looking down on the duel earlier. Atlas seemed impressed with Jaxon's performance, but he was more interested it his mark rather than his performance.

"He's a signer." Jack says. "That's good to know." Jack continued to look down where Jaxon was standing, knowing that there could be a potential duel between the two.

Jaxon then walked towards Akiza, who was crying and in some discomfort after her loss. He wanted to make her feel better at least.

"Akiza, are you ok?" Jaxon asked. Before Akiza could answer, Sayer appeared behind Akiza covering her with a sheet of fabric.

"I think you did enough damage today, Jaxon." Sayer says to Jaxon while tending to Akiza.

"It's okay, you tried. You did your best out there. Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Sayer then escorted Akiza out of the dueling stage and into the inner parts of the stadium, disappearing from Jaxon's sight. Jaxon didn't know what to think at this point, but what he does know is that he will be facing off against Yusei Fudo in their next match, a match that Jaxon will make sure he doesn't lose to.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, with Jaxon's victory set in stone, he will move on in the semi-final match to take on satellite sector's shooting star, Yusei Fudo!"_


	7. Chapter 6: Invitation from a Model

**Chapter 6: Invitation from a Model**

Only one duelist was left standing in the middle of the stage, and it was Jaxon. He just finished his duel against Akiza, who he defeated. No one else in recorded history has ever came close to defeating her until now.

The crowd, who relentlessly jeered Jaxon for his rant against them on their verbal mistreatment with Yusei, switched to cheering. While Jaxon picked up on the crowd's enthusiasm, he wasn't sold on it completely, thinking that they were cheering him just because he defeated The Black Rose.

"_Eh, it won't matter if they cheer for me now. They're just happy that I defeated Akiza, someone that everyone here hates more than me. I bet they'll resume their boos once I defeat Yusei and Jack and claim the world title." _He thought as he looked around the sold-out stadium.

While everything was going on, Jaxon was slightly holding on to his arm, the arm that was marked with his ace monster in a red glow. He still was trying to figure out why these marks are appearing in the first place.

Before he could even think about it, he saw a camera man and a duel analyst walking towards him to his right. Once he saw them fully, he almost shrugged, knowing he would have to give his thoughts on his duel and his thoughts going forward with his next duel against Yusei Fudo.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here with Jaxon!" The analyst said to him while his voice rang through the stadium. The crowd soon followed with roars of cheers for Jaxon.

Once Jaxon saw who the analyst was, he cracked a smile, he knew who he was. It was the MC, the person who was commentating the duel.

"Jaxon, you just defeated The Black Rose, an obstacle that no one until now has ever done." MC said. "Can you please give us your thoughts on this duel and what was the mindset going through your head while dueling The Black Rose?"

"Yeah, it was a challenge!" Jaxon replied. "I knew going into this duel that this matchup was going to be my toughest. She did some moves that she executed perfectly to the point where I couldn't do anything, but I stuck with my gameplan and I managed to summon my ace monster sooner rather than later. As soon as I got that phoenix onto the field, I felt confident that I was going to shift the momentum to my favoring since I had at least a face down at that point, and from there I had a clear path. Kudos to Akiza for a very exciting duel, and hopefully she's ok; she kind of got rattled physically at the end, hopefully I didn't hurt her too much."

"Now while this victory is very important to you, you have more competition to go through, especially Yusei Fudo, who you will duel next after our loser's compensation match, and possibly the champion, Jack Atlas." MC says to Jaxon. "What's the goal going forward and what else do you need to do in order to accomplish your goal becoming the number 1 ranked duelist in the world?"

"You know, while my goal is to become number 1, I can't focus on Jack Atlas right now." Jaxon responds to MC's question. "I need to take every single duel one at a time. I can't take the same strategy and implement it to opponents such as Yusei and Jack, they are number 1 and 2 for a reason, so I'm just going to have to grind it out and hopefully I'll come out victorious in the end."

"One last question." MC says. "What is your message to Yusei and Jack going forward?"

"Yusei, hopefully you're ready for our duel! Can't wait to take the next step!" Jaxon says. "And Jack, I don't know where you're watching this right now, but don't underestimate me not only as a duelist, but as a person. I'm someone who duels for life, I'm someone that has a passion for dueling. And if you don't take me seriously, it's not only going to result in your downfall, but it will result in me claiming your crown and status as dueling champion of the world!"

"Thank you very much sir!" MC says. Just before MC starts to walk away, Jaxon stops him, taking the mic from him not to rant, but to say something sincere to not just the people in the stadium, but to the people in New Domino City and people all over the world.

"Before we move on, I want to say a few more things" Jaxon says to the crowd. "I just want to take this short time to apologize for what I said to you all before the tournament started. What I said is not a reflection on who I am, and I deeply regret what I said before. You guys were amazing during this duel and I don't regret dueling for you all. Thank you to everyone here and thank you to everyone watching around the world for your support! Can't wait to win the crown for you guys!"

With that, Jaxon then proceeded towards the exit tunnel before the crowd gave him a standing ovation for his performance and grace after. A few security guards followed beside him to escort him back inside. He saw many fans who originally verbally trashed the kid eventually cheering him as he past by them. He gave a few high fives to the little kids before entering the inner part of the exit tunnel.

While he walked away from the exit, he saw someone familiar standing in his way, applauding him for his performance.

"Yusei?" Jaxon asked.

"Great performance today." Yusei replied. "You killed it out there. I knew you were eventually going to pull it off."

"Thanks, I guess." Jaxon responds awkwardly, knowing that Yusei was his next opponent and the fact he was standing literally right in front of him.

"Everything is ok, right?" Yusei asks with some concern.

"Yeah, for now." Jaxon answers while rolling up his sleeve, revealing his mark.

"I'm just worried about this mark that's been showing up as of late." Jaxon adds. "I don't know why, but every time one of our dragons is summoned, our marks glow. It not only happened when we were watching Akiza's duel with Sir Randsborg, but it also happened during my duel with Akiza just now."

"I'm still trying to figure it out as well." Yusei adds back, agreeing with Jaxon's curiosity. "Maybe it's trying to bring these duelists together to this tournament to form up and fight forces of evil that's out there."

"That's also not the only thing I'm worried about." Jaxon quickly says. "I'm also worried about how my mark is shaped, it doesn't look normal compared to the rest of your marks."

Yusei then looks at Jaxon's mark. His look turned into even more curiosity when comparing his mark to Jaxon's.

"That's weird." Yusei says while revealing his arm. "My mark represents the head of the Crimson Dragon, while yours seems to be unrelated!"

"I know, right?" Jaxon adds back. "My mark represents my ace monster, 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys'. I don't know why it is, but I'm starting to think that since my mark glows red like yours but looks different, maybe there's something special about me."

"I'm not so sure myself, but for right now, the only things we should focus on is not only our upcoming duel, but also thinking about the true reason why this tournament was set up in the first place." Yusei says. "I think there's more to it than meets the eye."

"I'm with you all the way, my friend." Jaxon adds. Both Yusei and Jaxon shook hands, signaling unity between the two despite their duel coming up in at least a couple more hours.

"Well Jaxon, I'll see you out there on the track." Yusei says as he walks away.

"Thanks Yusei, see you there too." Jaxon replies.

Jaxon walks back to the VIP duelist room, where someone else would be waiting for him outside the doorway. It was a person holding something that looked like it came from mail or delivery.

"Hello good sir, are you Jaxon Meyer?" The man asks.

"Yes sir, I am!" Jaxon happily replies. "Is there anything you need?"

"Well, some young lady walked up to me and told me to hand this to you." The man replied. "She seemed pretty interested in talking to you privately when you and she have the chance."

"Ok then, thank you sir for the letter!" Jaxon said.

"No problem, any time good sir." The man responded before walking away.

Jaxon then thought to himself about this letter. He assumed the letter was valid, after all, who would send a fake letter to one of the most popular duelists in the world right now?

"_This is interesting, what kind of girl would want to talk to me? I'm not someone who thrives in relationships! Besides, my genetic disorder may keep me from getting there anyways."_

He then sat down at a table close by within the VIP room and opened the letter to see who wrote the letter regarding him.

When he opened the letter, he soon recognized the name of the woman who sent him the letter. It was a name most people were familiar with.

"_Misty Tredwell? The number 1 supermodel in New Domino City?" _Jaxon thought surprisingly. _"What does she have to do with me? Guess I'll find out now."_

He then proceeded to read the letter as it follows:

_Dear Jaxon,_

_You may know or may not know about me personally, and I do apologize if this letter surprises you by any means. You're probably wondering what the whole situation is about the setup of the Fortune Cup and why you have a specific mark compared to the rest of the signers. If you would like to know much more, please come meet me at my viewing sight in the viewing balcony at any given time. I would love to get to know you not only as a duelist, but as a person. Hopefully, we can continue to talk to one another after this to discuss even more. If possible, don't forget to bring security just in case! I'll also write down my number just in case if you need to talk to me over the phone._

_Best Regards and Wishes, _

_Misty Tredwell _

_Number: XXX-XXX-XXXX_

Jaxon didn't know what to say after reading Misty's letter. He was going to talk to the most popular model in New Domino City! He blemished thinking about the conversation. After thinking for a few minutes, he decided that now would be the time to get the discussion over with.

He then called security to request them to escort him to the Balcony Sweets, where he would meet Misty Tredwell to discuss.

Security would arrive in less than a minute to meet up with Jaxon at the VIP duelist doorway, as security showed up, they asked Jaxon where to take him to. He would remind them to take him to the Balcony Sweet entrance and told them that Misty Tredwell invited him in.

As soon as Jaxon and security walked near the public areas, some of the fans saw Jaxon, screaming for his autograph. Unfortunately for them, security was hard at work making sure Jaxon didn't run into any problems with fans getting in his way. He soon pointed to the direction where the Balcony Sweets sign was, and soon headed up that way.

Security then told Jaxon that from here, security was no longer needed as the area they were within was restricted for duelists/special invites only.

"Thank you for the escort gentlemen." Jaxon said to security.

"Anything for a worthy duelist." Security said back. "Remind us when you're ready to head back."

"I'll make sure gentlemen." Jaxon said as he whisked away from the men and walked through the corridors of the stadium looking for the private room: Balcony Sweets.

It took a few minutes for Jaxon to see the sign to the entrance after walking through the corridors and into the upper section. He saw some guards outside guarding a door that were expecting him to arrive.

"Sir, are you Jaxon? The guy that Misty was looking for?" One of the guards asked.

"Yes sir, I'm the guy." He replied. "Good thing I decided to come now, didn't I?"

"Well, she said she could have halted the meeting between you two after the tournament ended." Security responded. "Technically, it would be ok for you two to meet anytime."

"Huh, interesting." Jaxon curiously said back, thinking about if should he spend this time studying his opponent. However, he studied all his opponents before the tournament even started, so he could afford some time with a woman like Misty.

"I'll just go in, check in, and see how things go." He said.

"On you go dear sir." Security said back, opening the door, granting Jaxon access to the Balcony Sweets.

Jaxon thanked the guards for letting him in and shortly after, he took his first steps inside. Immediately, he was in awe of the architecture surrounding him, almost thinking that this room was reserved for the popular and more famous people.

"_Wow, this room is beautiful!" _Jaxon thought. _"I never knew this stadium had a gem of a room like this!"_

"Can I help you, lost sir?" A woman at the check-in deck said to Jaxon who was caught being surprised at the beauty of the room he was inside.

"Oh, um, y-yes. I was looking for Misty Tredwell, the woman who wrote me this letter." Jaxon said to the receptionist. "She told me that she would meet me here, but I don't see her right now."

"Wait, are you talking about Misty Tredwell, the model who treasures her privacy to keep herself from old dogs on the streets?" The receptionist responded.

Jaxon gave her a weird look in response. He didn't expect someone to bluntly insult him just because he was not Misty.

"Did you just call me a dog?" Jaxon asked. The receptionist gave Jaxon a surprised look after, it didn't look like he was being insulted after all. She then let out a big sigh and resumed her work.

"No, I didn't." She said. "I just take my job seriously; I don't want random people running in here just to meet with her so they can get an autograph."

"That's understandable." Jaxon said while handing the letter to the receptionist as a form of proof. "Here's the letter she sent to me; she also wrote down the number just in case you don't believe me."

"I know this is Misty's number, but is it ok if I give her a call just to clarify the whole thing?" She said.

"Go right ahead." Jaxon said back. She then took her phone and called the phone number on the letter, and sure enough, it was Misty's voice that rang out.

"Misty, aren't you waiting for a guy in a red hat/red uniform to discuss with? Uh-huh, he's down here. Good, he'll be waiting for your arrival." She said.

"Well sir, she is on her way. Just sit tight and she'll be with you." She happily said. "And I do apologize if my words offended you earlier."

"N-no you're fine!" Jaxon answered back. "I just don't like it when you call other people "dogs" just because they aren't as successful as the woman you serve."

"Oh, I just take my job seriously like I said earlier. You, compared to the others I used to run into, have shown proof of a pre-arrangement with her, so you're on my good side!" She said to Jaxon.

"Well, that's good to hear madam." Jaxon says back. "I always want to be on everyone's good side, regardless if they're good people or bad people."

A couple minutes pass by, and Jaxon was chilling on one of the chairs looking down on the dueling stage, which would remain empty for about another hour before the compensation duel would take place. Although Jaxon would love to watch this duel, he had a woman to discuss with about the events taking place.

After another minute, Jaxon heard a soft charming voice from behind him in which after, a woman looked over his shoulder to check up on him.

"Hey, are you Jaxon?" She said, Jaxon then looked behind him and sure enough, it was Misty. He finally has the chance to talk to a popular figure, which was something he never would have visioned as a young boy.

"Oh,u-um, y-yeah, I'm Jaxon." Jaxon said while stuttering in response to Misty voice and her beautiful appearance. "I gotta say, you look really beautiful today."

"Well thank you!" Misty replied while slightly blushing. "I know you may be a competitor here and your outfit may be generic, but I think you are the best-looking duelist in this competition!"

Jaxon's cheeks then turned into a pinkish color in response to her compliment. No woman, except his late mother, has ever said something so kind about his looks. He couldn't barely think about what to say next. Misty took notice of his blemishing cheeks and giggled happily.

"Has any woman like me said that you looked pretty cute before?" She said in a happy tone, trying to get Jaxon to talk. Jaxon blushed even more, slightly moaning in the process thinking that out of all the types of conversations that were likely to happen, he thought that a flirty conversation would be the last one likely to happen.

Jaxon shook his head horizontally in response to her question. He wanted to say no verbally but was unfortunately too embarrassed due to what Misty just said.

"Honestly, I could go on for hours just by complementing your looks and your personality, but we shall get started on the true discussion, shall we?" Misty asked.

"Y-yeah, I agree!" Jaxon said back.

"I would love to discuss the situation with you here, but I think this area is too public for it to happen here." Misty adds. "How about we discuss this privately, shall we?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Jaxon answers. "Don't want people to hear what we're talking about would we?"

"Well, let's go then! I'll lead the way." She says as she walks towards the back doors while Jaxon follows. While following her, he thought about what the two were going to discuss. Would it be about his mark? His involvement with the tournament? It could be anything.

The back doors then open, revealing a surprisingly long corridor, leading to the room where no one, expect Misty and Jaxon, was allowed. The room was simply used as a private room to discuss secret information upon two different people.

As soon as the two started walking through the corridor, Jaxon suddenly, felt a little suspicious. He started to feel like he was in a horror movie based on how the corridor was designed. Before he knew it, his heart started beating faster.

Jaxon didn't want to panic now. After all, he was going to talk to the most popular model in New Domino City. Why would something like a racing heart would stop him from doing so?

Misty then looked behind, recognizing Jaxon's slightly heavy breathing. She instantly looked worried about Jaxon's state.

"Is everything ok Jaxon?" Misty asked. "You look like your breathing harder than normal."

"Oh no, it's fine." Jaxon answers back in an attempt to cover up the situation. "I'm just a little tired after my previous duel, that's all."

"Ok then." She says as she continues to walk with Jaxon right behind her.

While Jaxon said he was fine, he knew that his heart wasn't getting any slower. In fact, it only got faster. He put his hand on his chest to feel the tempo of his heart to check how fast the beats were. With each second, he felt like his heart was getting faster and faster. It almost felt like he was having a slight heart attack.

Misty continued walking towards the place where her and Jaxon would discuss some things. She then heard a thud behind her suddenly, causing her to look back quickly. When she looked back, she saw Jaxon on the ground, laying in a near fetal position with his right hand on his chest, breathing heavily.

Misty shockingly gasped in response, racing to Jaxon who was lying on the ground shaking violently. She didn't know what was happening; all she could do was try to get Jaxon's attention as best as she could.

"Hey, hey! You ok?" Misty claimed while pulling Jaxon in an upright position away from the floor. "What happened? Can you tell me what's going on?!"

Jaxon could barely speak. As much as he tried to calm himself down, his body wouldn't let him as it continued to violently shake.

"D-Don't w-worry, I-it's j-just an a-attack, t-that's all." Jaxon murmured slightly. Misty then knew what was happening, Jaxon was having a panic attack.

While not having any experience dealing with comforting someone with an attack like this, she started to trust herself that she was going to calm him down and bring him back to his normal state. She then got close to Jaxon and slightly spoke, in an attempt to release some tension Jaxon was dealing with.

"Ok Jaxon, I-I know you're not in a good place right now, but I'm going to need you to listen to me, ok?" Misty slightly whispered into Jaxon right ear.

"Y-yeah, I'm w-with you." Jaxon slightly responded back while continuing to breathe heavily.

"Ok, first, I want you to give me your right hand." She slightly says as she reaches for Jaxon's hand which was still over his chest. She eventually pulls his hand away free.

"Next, I want you to calm your breathing; take some deep breaths slowly." Misty adds. "Breath in for about 4 seconds, and breath out for about 8 seconds, ok?"

"Y-yes." Jaxon stutters. 'I'll try my best,"

"I want to make sure you get through this, so I'll take deep breaths with you to help you out ok?" Misty asks.

Jaxon nodded in approval while continuing to labor.

Shortly after, both Jaxon and Misty took some deep breaths in and out together as one, eventually, Jaxon's body started to stabilize, while still slightly shaking.

"Ok, now I'm going to place your head on my chest." Misty adds. "I want you to listen to my heartbeat and focus on that alone. Can you do that for me?"

Jaxon shakes his head up and down signaling he was following directions Misty was giving him. She then placed Jaxon's head onto her chest, where her heart was located. She placed his head at a position where his right ear was directly on her chest so that it would be easier for Jaxon to hear her heartbeat.

"Can you hear my heartbeat?" Misty asks.

Jaxon shook his head up and down, signaling he was indeed hearing her heartbeat. While Jaxon was starting to slowly regain his composure, he could still feel trembles throughout his whole body.

"_Oh dear, his body is still trembling intensely. Even after comforting him with deep breaths and him listening to my heartbeat, it still hasn't fully calmed him down!"_

She knew she had to do at least something else to calm him down rather than let himself take all the time in the world to regain his composure.

"Listen, this may sound a little uncomfortable, but is it ok if I wrap my arms around you for a bit?" She asks. "I want to make sure you feel absolutely safe with me right here."

Jaxon didn't know what to say after he heard her speak those words. Even though it was likely due to his body trembling, he never heard any other girl openly asking him to be hugged. Fortunately, that long drought would be broken today.

Few seconds later, Misty raised both her arms and reached around Jaxon's unstable body. A few moments would go by and Jaxon showed some signs of calming down, which was a very good sign for Misty as she let out a small sigh of relief.

Jaxon started to feel more relaxed as second went by, he felt like he needed a hug from a woman, especially from a woman like Misty. He then soon started to say something, but Misty immediately interrupted him wanting to do one more thing to make sure Jaxon was completely fine.

"Do you mind if I can embrace you a little bit more?" She asks Jaxon. "Like, can I put a little more pressure around you?"

"S-sure, I don't have a problem that" He answers back.

Misty then smiled at him before going back to putting more pressure around Jaxon's recovering body. Jaxon felt even more relaxed as a result. He never felt embraced by a woman who cared about his safety other than his late mother years ago. He nearly went into tears thinking about all the years he went through alone, without a woman being there for him to hug.

It would be a minute before Jaxon composed himself and felt normal once again. However, Misty wasn't letting go.

"Umm, Misty?" Jaxon asks Misty, who looked like she was daydreaming with her eyes closed while still embracing Jaxon. "I think I'm ok now."

"Hold on, let me embrace you for a little bit longer." Misty responds. "I want to make sure you feel completely ok, and also make sure you feel loved."

"_Loved?"_ Jaxon thought to himself as he was still in the clutches of the supermodel who was holding him as close as she could.

While still being embraced in her arms, he started to feel Misty's right hand rubbing the back of his head, nearly playing with his hair.

"_W-what is she doing?" _He thought. _"I know I'm having an anxiety attack, but this doesn't feel normal. Is she gonna ever let me go?"_

"H-hey Misty, are you ever gonna let me go?" Jaxon asked suddenly. Misty didn't budge, and then kept clinching him in her arms. She then mysteriously whispered something into Jaxon's left ear.

"_I don't want to let you go…"_

Jaxon immediately felt creeped out by Misty's words. In response, he attempted to break free of Misty's grip of him, but she wouldn't give way. It was almost as if Misty was protecting him from something by the way she was holding him.

Jaxon then looked at Misty's face, it was then that something caught his attention. It looked like she was going through some sort of nightmare or vision, but he wondering why was she holding him like this?

"MISTY!" Jaxon loudly yelled out his lungs.

In shock, Misty opened her eyes and instantly released her grip of Jaxon. She looked at Jaxon, terrified at what she was going through.

"I see a vision…" Misty says, making Jaxon wonder what in the world she was talking about.

"A vison of what?" He responds back.

"A vision of you and me…" She says back.

Jaxon then thought about the words she spoke for a second.

"_You and me? What in the world does that mean? Rulers of the world? King and Queen? Anything?" _Jaxon thought.

"You and me in what?" Jaxon asked back. "What did you see?"

"Oh, n-never mind, I'll tell you at another time." Misty answers. "Now that you seem to be ok and fully aware, I assume we can continue on yes?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" He says back still thinking about what Misty saw in her "vison".

Before he knew it, they reached the entrance to the room they would be discussing these events that happened during Jaxon's time here at the fortune cup tournament.

Misty then opened the door, showing the true scale of what the room looked like and how big it was.

Jaxon seemed to be pretty stunned while looking at all of the artifacts hanging from the ceiling, the stylish furniture, and even the six-foot tall mirrors that seemed pretty suitable for Misty as she was pretty much near over six feet tall.

"Here, come sit over here, it's comfier over here!" Misty says to Jaxon.

"Don't mind if I do!" Jaxon happily answers back while walking towards his chair.

"So, do you want to know exactly why I wanted to talk to you today?" She asks.

"If I'm going to be honest, I have no clue." Jaxon responds as he takes a seat while taking a drink of tea that was set beside his chair.

"As expected." She replies. "It would be a surprise if you knew what the topic was ahead of advance wouldn't it?"

Jaxon shook his head up and down, agreeing with her statement.

"Well, today I wanted to discuss something about the events that have happened during the recent duels in this fortune cup tournament." Misty says as she takes a sip of tea from her mug she held.

"Are you talking about the marks that appeared on our arms?" Jaxon asked curiously.

"Yes, and things related as well." She responded. "If you don't mind telling me, would you like to explain when these 'signer' marks appeared?"

"Like the mark on my arm?" Jaxon asked as Misty nodded in approval. "Well, the last time the mark appeared on my arm was when I was dueling Akiza. It exactly appeared when 'Black Rose Dragon' and 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' were out on the field at the same time."

"Interesting." Misty added. "Do you know what the mark looked like compared to the other marks?"

"It certainly looked quite different from the other signers." Jaxon responded, "It didn't resemble one part of the 'Crimson Dragon', rather than representing my ace monster!"

"That's rather odd, but also not unexpected." She adds.

"What do you mean unexpected?" Jaxon quickly asks.

"I have some knowledge about these marks. Especially about the unique one that appears on your arm." Misty would go on to nod as Jaxon looked at his non glowing mark along his arm.

"How do you know about this knowledge you obtained anyways? Or did you learn about this yourself?" Jaxon asked Misty.

"It's a long story, so I hope you don't mind listening to it, as it will help you gain more information about the marks you duelists possess." Misty says to the relaxed duelist.

"Spill it, I love to learn new stuff!" Jaxon happily responds. He couldn't wait to hear what Misty had to say about the signer marks.

"It all started when my younger brother came home one day. He seemed so excited to see me as if he wanted to tell me about his day." Misty told him.

"Your younger brother?" Jaxon asked. Of course, he never knew that Misty had a younger brother.

"Yes, his name was Toby. He was the sweetest brother that anyone could have ever imagined. I remember this necklace he gave me the same day; it was a picture of myself and my brother Toby. I've worn this ever since then." She said as she rolled up her right sleeve, revealing something along her arm.

Jaxon was caught off guard at the sight of a mark nearly similar to Misty's marking, but he kept quiet as he continued to listen to Misty's story.

"Here is where the true story begins." Misty said. "After giving me this necklace, he mentioned someone that he meant that had similar physic powers to himself."

"_Physic powers, could this mean that he met Akiza? After all, she is the only duelist I know that has abilities that someone with physic powers would have!"_

"He never said the exact name of this person, but he did say something mentioning 'The Black Rose'." She says.

"_The Black Rose'? I just beat her in my previous duel!"_

"After mentioning 'The Black Rose', my worries started to overwhelm me. He did state that this figure was a member of the 'Arcadia Movement'. That was when everything started to turn bad. My brother and I got into a huge argument shortly after as he claimed that no one within our family supported him. He eventually ran out the door; that was the last time I would ever see him alive." She nervously claimed.

"Alive?" Jaxon asked out of nowhere.

"Yes, the last time I would see him alive. He was on his way to see 'The Black Rose' duel someone, and what happened was that destruction and chaos swallowed the entire area that my brother went to, and he was caught right in the middle of it. He never made it out alive."

Jaxon was shocked after hearing what Misty had to say about her late brother. He felt sorry for her on the inside and almost felt like wanting to hug her and comfort her.

"I went over to that area soon after the carnage stopped, just to look for my brother. What I end up finding is an empty room that was somehow untouched by the destruction, only to find a long black bag on a table in the middle of the room." She told Jaxon.

Jaxon could feel his chest starting to cave in on him, however, it was no near the point where he would become unstable and have trouble breathing again. Chills started to tremble all over Jaxon as he continued to listen to her story about her brother.

"It was at that exact moment where my world was absolutely crushed. I went over to the body bag, hoping that my brother's name wasn't labeled on the tag. I slowly looked at the tag; I then felt my legs collapse below my waist as I read the ID label." She said as tears started to fill up her emerald blue eyes.

"My life at that point was over. I lost him. I couldn't live without the greatest gift in my young life. He was gone just like that." Misty said while slightly shaking and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Gosh, I-I'm so sorry about your brother." Jaxon softly spoke in response. "No one should go through someone losing a family member like that."

"It gets even more sad Jaxon." She quickly says. "I couldn't stand losing my brother, in fact, I couldn't even focus on driving away from that site."

"What do you mean couldn't focus on driving?" Jaxon asked.

"I was so shocked at one moment to the point where my muscles wouldn't move while I was driving near a cliff. I ended up crashing through the barrier and I landed in the body of water below. Luckily, I was able to escape with ease since I was driving a convertible at the time. However due to the impact shortly after, I began to go into a catatonic state due to the shock of the crash." Misty said. She then grabbed a box of tissues from a desk near her chair.

Jaxon couldn't believe what he heard. He barely moved a muscle after hearing her story. It almost felt like he was shedding a tear in remorse for Misty.

"What happened after you crashed?" Jaxon asked. "Did you get rescued by paramedics?"

"Yes, I eventually did get rescued." Misty answered. "Paramedics were there almost 5-10 minutes after my crash, so they got there pretty quick. They loaded me up on a stretcher and took me to the nearest hospital. As soon as I entered the hospital entrance, I started to hear voices from out of nowhere. It almost seemed like something was calling to me, even though I could barely move due to my state of shock while being on a stretcher."

Jaxon then leaned closer to Misty, being fully engaged and knowing what she could say next could be big in what could be the reason why all these marks started to appear in the first place.

"The next thing I saw was some sort of lizard type creature right in front of my eyes!" She claimed. "I can't remember every single thing that creature said, but I do remember one thing it said."

"What did this creature say?" He asked. "Something about life and recovery?"

"Like I said, I can't remember everything what it said, but what I do remember is that this lizard type creature said something related to "revenge", and "giving me life." Misty responded. "I accepted everything it said, and within seconds, I was reborn as a 'Dark Signer".

Jaxon then thought about the word "Signer". He knew his mark represented him as a signer, but when Misty said the word "Dark" in front of the word signer, he started to think that the "Dark Signers" were the enemies of the "Signers".

"Dark Signer?" Jaxon asked. "Who are the Dark Signers? Are they the enemies of the Signers?"

"The Dark Signers are a group of duelists who are indeed the enemy of the signers." Misty answered. "All Dark Signers possess a deck consumed by darkness and vow to the 'Earthbound Immortals' to take revenge on the signers and take control of the world."

After hearing what Misty had to say, Jaxon started to feel nervous as he was right in front of a "Dark Signer" talking about the potential of the world under the "Dark Signers" control.

"Mind if I ask, what about me as a 'Signer'?" Jaxon asked, "Why would you want to talk to me about all of this and not to the others?"

"Because you are different from the rest of the Signers, Jaxon". Misty responded immediately. "Your marks' design is different, and while it has a red glow like the rest, it doesn't mean you are truly a signer."

"I know my mark is different, but what makes you think that?" Jaxon asked Misty.

"Your mark represents your ace monster, right?" She asked back. "Well, both of us can tell that your mark doesn't represent the 'Crimson Dragon".

"So what?" Jaxon told Misty while slightly raising his voice, which was something he rarely did to someone else. "Just because my mark doesn't represent the 'Crimson Dragon' doesn't mean I can't fight along side my friends against the forces of evil!"

"You see? There's a huge problem with that statement." Misty responded. "Those 'friends' that have similar marks to yours aren't your real friends. Your growing power within yourself will soon push those 'friends' away from you, leaving no one at your side to flight along with."

"Should I believe what you are saying about my friends right now? Because I sure don't!" Jaxon says back responding to Misty's claims about Jaxon's friends.

"When the Signers and Dark Signers meet, that is when you will find that what I'm saying right now will come to fruition." Misty tells Jaxon. "You will battle the Dark Signers at first, but eventually, you will soon find out the truth about us. It is your destiny."

"My destiny?" Jaxon asked.

"Yes, your destiny. It is something that you can't escape and will soon learn to accept." Misty claims as she draws closer towards Jaxon.

"What proof do you have of this 'destiny' that I am going to face? All I see is words, but so far, nothing behind it." Jaxon boldly tells Misty.

"You see, I'm not just your famous supermodel, but I'm also something called a 'fortune teller'." Misty answers his question. "I can see your future, and it's not going to be what you think it will become."

"Why don't you go ahead and prove it to me?" Jaxon quickly tells her as Misty stands up and takes a few steps towards Jaxon, who remained at his seat.

"Very well then." Misty answers. "First, I'm going to need you to stay as still as possible, as I am going to take a up close look at your sparkling beautiful blue eyes. This way, I can read your fortune and see if it's a bright future or a dark future."

"Up close look?" Jaxon asks curiously. "Does that mean you have to get very close to my face just to read my fortune?"

"Yes, that is what I must do to have an accurate representation." Misty answers. "If I look at you from afar, my fortune telling will not be as accurate as it usually is when I'm very close to someone like you."

"Fine." Jaxon says as he shrugs, being kind of annoyed at the situation. "I hope you don't do anything stupid or catch me by surprise by ki-"

Misty quickly covered Jaxon's mouth before he could fully finish his sentence. She didn't want to hear anymore of Jaxon's words, rather she wanted to tell him about the future and obstacles he will face later on.

"That will come at a later time, Jaxon." Misty says, while covering Jaxon's mouth. "But right now, it's time for me to read your fortune."

Jaxon started to feel anxious once again. She did say that will come at a later time, didn't she? Yes, she did, but why did she say that? Even Jaxon didn't know what to think at this point.

Misty then got up close, took her left hand, and grabbed the lower part of Jaxon's chin. Looking at his eyes, she started to see the events of the future involving Jaxon. She hopes that what she claims will indeed be the truth.

Jaxon started to blush uncontrollably, he slowly leaned as back as he can in his chair so that it would be easier for him to relax and not move as much.

"Very interesting." She softly says. "It's just like what I said, only with a better vision in the end."

She continued to stare at Jaxon's eyes, seeing what was in store for the potential new king of dueling.

Jaxon then felt as if the front legs of the chair were lifted off the ground. He was about to quickly tell Misty that the chair was about to fall back, but the chair then quickly moved backwards, causing Jaxon and Misty to fall and land on top of each other.

Thankfully, the impact wasn't severe, but how quickly they fell made the scene a little more dramatic.

Both Jaxon and Misty looked into each other eyes, deeply blushing as they didn't expect the near end of the discussion to end up with both of them making this much contact with each other.

"Are you okay?" Jaxon asked.

"Y-yes, I- I'm ok" Misty answered back.

As soon as Jaxon started to move, he felt Misty's right hand glaze across his left cheek, and soon after, her left hand on his right cheek.

"_Ok, this is starting to get crazy and creepy at the same time! What in the hell is she doing? I know she is absolutely_ _beautiful but I'm not ready for this kind of action!"_ Jaxon quickly thought to himself as Misty continued to feel his cheeks with her hands.

The next thing he see would be Misty's face lowering ever closer to Jaxon's. He slowly raised his eyebrows and his eyes as he realized what Misty was doing.

Before he knew it, he heard a soft whisper from her mouth as her eyes were shut.

"_You're just perfect. Perfect for me…" _She thought as she lowered her lips towards Jaxon's lips. Jaxon then realized that Misty was actually attempting to kiss him.

While he knew that it would feel great to be kissed by a supermodel like Misty, he quickly looked at the clock on the wall to his right, there was only 30-40 minutes until his duel with Yusei would begin.

"Oh, would you look at the time, I got a duel to get ready for!" Jaxon yelled out as Misty's face landed on the hard floor, missing her mark.

Jaxon then quickly got up and then proceeded to grab his duel disk and headed straight for the door, but Misty soon stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait!" Misty yelled. "I need to tell you your fortune!"

"Nah, it's fine, I'm going to rewrite my future anyways! I don't need to worry about all of this don't I?" He answered back as he tried to get out of Misty's way.

"Jaxon, it's something you need to hear!" Misty yelled back. "You must learn your fortune; you can't escape it!"

"Ok fine!" Jaxon shrugged as he turned around to listen to what Misty had to say.

"Thank you." She said. "As I was about to say, my predictions were indeed true. You will in fact, battle us Dark Signers and there, you will find out who your real friends are."

"You literally told me that earlier." Jaxon told Misty.

"Yes, but there was also something else I saw." Misty responded. "I saw you and I, alone."

"What?" Jaxon asked curiously. "Alone?"

"Yes, alone, dueling each other." Misty answered. "Hear my words, we will duel each other. There, you will meet your destiny."

"What is my destiny anyways?" Jaxon asks. "Losing to you? Becoming a slave to the darkness?"

"Unfortunately for you, that is something I cannot tell you. You have to find out for yourself." Misty responds.

"I'll look forward to that duel when the time comes. But right now, I have a turbo duel to focus on." Jaxon kindly says to Misty. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must get going. It was an honor to talk to you, Misty."

Misty nodded at Jaxon as she watches him walk towards the door. She then realized there was one more thing she needed to say before they went their separate way for the time being.

"Wait!" Misty yelled. "One more thing. Just remember, you are loved. Your diagnosis doesn't mean you can't feel appreciated."

Jaxon looked down at the floor thinking about what she said. It was true, for a long time, Jaxon thought his mild Autism diagnosis was a curse. He thought it was the pure reason why he was sometimes viewed as weird, unpopular, and mostly quiet.

Jaxon looked back at her and walked to her, who looked like she was about to shed tears once again.

"I really needed to hear those words from a woman like you." Jaxon tells Misty. "Thank you for understanding me. I look forward to meeting you again, even though we may face each other in a duel in the future."

"I look forward to meeting you again as well." She replies. "Do you want to meet up again after the whole tournament ends, regardless whoever wins the whole thing?"

"Yes, I would love to." He answers. "I would also like to talk more about what has transpired here today in our next meeting. Hopefully we don't fall on top of one another again.

"Yes, I hope everything goes well next time." Misty says as she slightly giggles in response to what Jaxon said about the fall the two took earlier.

"Well, thanks for everything. I gotta get going now." Jaxon tells Misty.

"You're welcome. Anytime." Misty says back. "I'll be rooting for you to win the whole thing!"

Jaxon nods in thanks as he opens the door and starts to head out towards the main lobby. As he enters the lobby, he lets out a huge sigh of relief and smiles about what happened today.

"Oh boy, was that a conversation was it?" He spoke to himself as he walked towards the exit. He called security and requested a tight escort back to the VIP duelist room to get ready for his upcoming turbo duel.

Security soon arrives and escorts Jaxon through the private area, and through some crowds before reaching the duelist room. He thanked security once again as they proceeded to head back to their posts.

Jaxon then took a seat on one of the sofas in the room and thought about the whole say so far. He mostly thought about the conversation he had with Misty just minutes ago and thought to himself about the claims that Misty had about his future.

"_Was it all true? Is Misty really telling the truth, or was she trying to bait me into something? She seemed nice and kind after all, but sometimes it's the devil in disguise. And I'm still wondering why she tried to kiss me in the first place!" _He thought as he watched the conclusion of the consolation duel between Luna and The Professor with Luna coming on top.

"Very impressive. She's got some talent." Jaxon said to himself as he turned off the tv, as he wanted to focus 100% on his duel with Yusei in about 40 minutes.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, another great duel is in the history books! Coming up next, we have Satellite Sector's Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo going up against the Undefeated American Prodigy, Jaxon "Vagabond" Meyer! Don't turn the channel, because that duel is coming up next!"_


	8. Chapter 7: Cerulean vs Stardust

**Chapter 7: Jaxon vs Yusei – Showdown between Stardust and Cerulean**

30 minutes; that was how much time Jaxon had before his duel with Yusei would begin. Using the remaining time he has left, he pulls out his deck of cards to make any last-minute adjustments. This wasn't an ordinary duel that Jaxon was going to compete in, in fact, the upcoming duel would be his first professional turbo duel, a duel where two duelists would duel each other while driving duel runners around a circular elliptical track.

Fortunately for Jaxon, he is familiar with turbo dueling. Ever since he obtained his duel runner license at the age of 18, he has participated in hundreds of turbo duel tournaments across the United States and a few recent private tournaments in New Domino City.

This turbo duel, however, was different. Not only that Yusei was going to be his toughest turbo duel opponent yet, but also this turbo duel would be the first time Jaxon has turbo dueled in front of thousands inside a stadium.

Even the thought of turbo dueling in front of thousands made Jaxon's heart skip a beat for a second.

Jaxon was not going to let his emotions get the best of him, unlike an hour and a half ago where he went through one of the worst anxiety attacks he ever dealt with. This upcoming moment was something that Jaxon couldn't afford to give up easily.

"_No, I'm not going to let this overcome me!" _Jaxon thinks as he looks at his deck of cards. _"I wanted to prove to the world that no matter what battles you're going through, you can come out on top if you put in the hard work and dedication. I'm not going to let the fans down, especially my mom and dad in the greatest seats among the gates of heaven!"_

Jaxon took one more look at his deck before heading out towards the duel runner parking area, where his duel runner was parked and guarded by high ranked sector security officers. He noticed that he still had normal spell cards in his deck. He took the time to adjust his deck by taking out the regular spells from his deck, and in exchange, he puts in speed spells as he will compete in a turbo duel.

Jaxon quickly gathered his duel disk, his cards, and started heading towards the parking area. Although the duel would not start for another 15-20 minutes, he wanted to make sure his duel runner was running normally.

Jaxon then pressed the ignition button, in which as a result, turned on everything, just as Jaxon was hoping for. He revved up the engine, put the transmission in drive, and proceeded to coast towards the duel runner entrance to the track.

While slowly coasting along the inner ways of the stadium, he saw a sign which said, "Entrance of the Track – Turbo Duelists Only".

"_I guess this is the way." _Jaxon thinks as he slowly accelerates to the entrance gate. Beyond the gate, there would be fans in their seats awaiting the arrival of the two duelists in the featured bout.

As soon as Jaxon got closer and closer to the gate, another person in a reddish colored duel runner was parked ahead of him; it was Yusei.

Jaxon soon parked alongside Yusei, waiting for the gates to open.

"Well, here we are Yusei." Jaxon says. "Time flies, doesn't it?"

"It sure does my friend." Yusei nods back. "I knew destiny would have us two highly regarded duelists battle it out for a chance to face Jack Atlas."

"I've waited so long for this moment, Yusei." Jaxon tells Yusei to his right, looking at his eyes. "And even though you are my friend, I will not hold back. I will do whatever it takes to defeat you and claim my chance to face Jack!"

"Good." Yusei responds to Jaxon while putting on his helmet. "I would be disappointed in you if you didn't give it your all."

"Same here." Jaxon quickly says back. "I wouldn't forgive myself at all."

Both duelists then took a look at the big screen in the middle of the stadium, it seemed that a promo video was being played to the crowd. Both Yusei and Jaxon could hear the jet-like roar of the crowd ringing through the walls of the inner part of the stadium, which sent shivers throughout Jaxon's body. Yusei quickly looked over at him, slightly concerned.

"You ok bud?" Yusei asks.

"Yea, I'm good." Jaxon happily nods back. "I just never turbo dueled in front of thousands of people before. The adrenaline is at it's all time high!"

"It may be your first time, but I can guarantee you, it's a hell of a lot of fun." Yusei says. "Once you get the crowd going in your favor, you'll feel like at home all over again."

"Hopefully I'll get to feel all of that emotion when I beat ya!" Jaxon comically says at Yusei, cracking a faint smile.

"Same here. Goodluck." Yusei says as the directors in front of him signaled for him to proceed onto the track.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for our co-main event of the evening! Introducing first, residing from the Satellite Sector, a dragon synchro specialist, Satellite Sector's Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo!"_

Yusei quickly accelerated out of the entrance and sped around the track before coming to a stop at the start line with a mixed reaction pouring down on him.

"_Interesting, am I the fan favorite here?" _Jaxon quickly thought. He noticed the number of boos nearly drowning the cheers as Yusei made his public appearance. Those boos would turn into thunderous cheers as a promo video for Jaxon played on the big screen.

"_I guess I am the fan favorite after all!" _Jaxon happily thought as his promo played in front of the thousands in attendance. He cracked a smile as the crowd got louder and louder. Before he knew it, they showed Jaxon on his duel runner, waiting for his grand appearance.

"_And now, Introducing, an undefeated winged beast ritual specialist, residing in New Domino City, but out of Kansas City Missouri, USA. Ladies and gentlemen, The American Sensation, Jaxon 'Vagabond' Meyer!"_

The young duelist then got the approval from the director to head out. Almost immediately, he zoomed out of the entrance and was greeted by a huge thunder of cheers from the fans; some of which had signs of his name. He could also hear the chants of his nickname "Vagabond" all throughout the stadium.

As he circled around the track, he flopped his right arm up and down, signaling the crowd to get even louder; in which they did. Jaxon was stunned, this was by far the loudest cheer he had ever received in his life. He almost shed a tear hearing the fans supporting him with their chants and roars.

"_I can't believe this; this is the greatest moment in my life so far!"_ He thought as he cruised around the track and eventually met Yusei Fudo at the starting line.

"I guess I got home field advantage, Yusei!" Jaxon yelled over the loud cheers.

"You sure do!" Yusei responds. "Let's see if the crowd will still be cheering for you after this duel!"

"With pleasure my friend!" Jaxon quickly says while getting set for the beginning of the turbo duel.

As both duelists got set to begin the duel, Jack Atlas was watching over the scene in the tower residing over the center of the stadium.

"Mr. Jack Atlas!" A young lady behind him said behind him. "Would you like to test out your duel runner?"

Jack, who continued to look down on the two duelists, didn't seem phased by the question and didn't look back.

"Not now, Mina. I have better things to do." Jack answers.

"What do you mean you have better things to do?" Mina asks back boldly.

"Oh, I don't know, like scouting this young fellow facing Yusei Fudo!" Jack responds.

"You mean, Jaxon?" Mina asks curiously, not fully knowing who he was at the time.

"Yes, Jaxon Meyer." Jack says. "He's the one that I'm keeping my eye on for many reasons. One of which is that he defeated Akiza Izinski, and another is that he hasn't lost as of today."

"He doesn't seem to be that powerful in my eyes." Mina says back.

Jack looked back at her, nearly surprised at her response, knowing that Jaxon was a threat to Jack's crown based on his power alone.

"You clearly haven't seen him duel." Jack tells Mina who was walking away from Jack only to be stopped by his words.

"Well, he isn't as powerful as you are!" Mina yells. "You are one of the greatest duelists I have ever seen. His skills pale in comparison to yours!"

"I appreciate the kind words Mina, but there's more to it than meets the eye." Jack responds. "Jaxon is not your ordinary duelist living in New Domino City, he is a duelist that holds a special kind of power related to his mark that doesn't represent the Crimson Dragon. It's rumored that he obtained his mark as soon as he found his ace monster 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' out of somewhere in an unknown place.

"Where did you get all of this information?" Mina asks.

"I know this due to an interview he took part in before this tournament took place. I then decided to look up this kid's information online, and there were quite a bit of articles relating to this kid." Jack tells Mina. "He's known to have some type of mild Autism disorder that influences his social life. He never made that many friends in his life and instead focused all of his spare time alone towards dueling. Many people around him say that he has never lost to anyone and they said that he hopes to become champion of dueling one day."

"Very interesting kid, I must say." Mina tells Jack. "What about his special mark along his right arm?"

"That? Well, I don't know much about it." Jack answers. "The only thing I can do right now is wait and see what happens."

**~LINEBREAK~**

"_Turbo duelists, engage in turbo duel mode. Ready, set, Duel!"_

The sound of the engines from the two duel runners resonated throughout the stadium. Both Yusei and Jaxon quickly step on their acceleration pedals and zoom away from the start line.

Before the duel can begin, both Yusei and Jaxon must race each other around the track and make it back to the start line. Whoever makes it past the line first, will make the first move of the duel.

Both duelists were neck and neck, not giving each other an inch. Jaxon knew he wanted to make the first move, as he believes that making the first move would be a huge advantage for him against a duelist like Yusei.

They soon reached the backstretch of the track; still right next to one another. Then came turn 3, Yusei was starting to pull ahead of Jaxon. As soon as Yusei cleared Jaxon, Jaxon decided to get behind Yusei in an effort to draft and eventually slingshot ahead.

Before entering turn 4, Yusei looked to his right to see if Jaxon was still there, he wasn't, rather he was behind him. He looked confused as to why he was not trying to pass him on his outside lane.

Using this as a distraction, Jaxon saw the opportunity to gain speed as they approached closer to the line. As soon as they exited turn 4, Jaxon made his move on the outside. Yusei quickly saw him in the corner of his eye and made a counter move to block him.

Unfortunately for Yusei, Jaxon knew that he would attempt a block to prevent him from passing him. As soon as Yusei moved to his right, Jaxon moved to the left nearly at the same time, causing Yusei to lose speed and momentum. Jaxon had a clear sailing ahead of him, and surely enough, he was the first to cross the line.

"Looks like I get the first move don't I?" Jaxon jokingly yells at Yusei behind him. Yusei, who normally looked excited and competitive in turbo duels had an anger and frustrated look on his face.

"_Seems like Yusei's emotions are starting to get the best of him already! Let's hope my deck can rally him up even more!" _Jaxon says inside his head as the two duelists draw their opening cards.

"Yusei, I hope you're ready!" Jaxon says. "This duel might as well be your toughest duel up to date!"

"Regardless of how tough this duel will be, I will give everything I got just to defeat you!" Yusei yells back. "I hope you do the same!"

"I'm a man of my word Yusei. I won't hold back!" Jaxon yells back as the two engage their duel disks on their runners.

"**LET'S DUEL!"**

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 0/ Yusei LP: 4000 SPC: 0**_

"Let's start this duel with a bang!" Jaxon says as he places the tips of his fingers on his deck, getting ready to draw the first card of the duel. "I draw!"

"First, I summon Disciple of Nephthys (Lv: 2/ ATK: 0/ DEF: 2000/ Wind / Spellcaster) in defense mode!" Jaxon yells as his monster appears to the left of his duel runner before saying: "You probably have seen this card before, but I'll tell you the effects anyway! This card allows me to destroy 1 card in my hand and in exchange, I can add a 'Nephthys' monster from my deck to my hand! I'll destroy 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' in my hand and in exchange, I'll add 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' from my deck to my hand!"

_Soon after Jaxon's monster was summoned, it's effect activated._

"I'll set a card face down, and then end my turn!" Jaxon tells Yusei as he looks behind his back. "It's your move!"

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 1/ Yusei LP: 4000 SPC: 1**_

"Okay. My turn, I draw!" Yusei said as he drew his card before saying: "I'll start with this. Speed Warrior (LV: 2/ Wind/ Warrior/ ATK: 900/ DEF: 400) in attack mode! When this card is summoned, it's attack points are doubled for this turn. Go Speed Warrior, attack with Hyper Sonic Slash!"

_Speed Warrior: 900-1800 ATK_

"What do you think you're doing Yusei?" Jaxon says. "You know that Speed Warrior doesn't have enough attack points to destroy my Disciple of Nephthys!"

"That may be the case but not until I activate this from my hand, Duel Warrior! By sending him to the graveyard from my hand, he gives my Speed Warrior an extra 400 ATK points." Yusei explained

_Speed Warrior: 1800-2200 ATK_

"So, Speed Warrior. Keep that attack going!" Yusei said as Speed Warrior kept moving to attack

"Nice move Yusei, but if you think that my Disciple of Nephthys is going down to a mere warrior, you are crazy! I activate my trap card, Defense Boost!" Jaxon said

_Disciple of Nephthys: 2000-2500 DEF_

"Speed Warrior!" exclaimed Yusei.

"I can activate this trap card when your monster attacks my monster, and if your monster gains attack points due to an effect, my Disciple of Nephthys gains 500 Defense points!" explained Jaxon

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 1/Yusei LP: 3700 SPC: 1_

"I set one card facedown and end my turn." Yusei said

"It's my move. I draw!" Jaxon yells as he draws a card. Realizing what card he drew, he smirked at Yusei.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 2/Yusei LP 3700 SPC: 2_

"Say goodbye to your face down! I activate my speed spell, Cosmic Cyclone! I give up 300 life points to target one spell or trap card you control and banish it!" Jaxon says as a small tornadic cyclone the size of Jaxon's duel runner heads towards Yusei's facedown card.

"So much for that card." said Yusei as Scrap-Iron Scarecrow was banished.

"Next, I summon the level 3 tuner monster, Dove The Deliverer of Nephthys! (Lv 3 / ATK: 200 / DEF: 300 / Light / Tuner / Winged Beast) Yusei, I may be one of the few duelists that utilizes ritual monsters, but that doesn't mean I have not mastered the synchro summon, and I will show you right here, right now! I tune my level 3 Dove The Deliverer of Nephthys with my level 2 Disciple of Nephthys! _As a phoenix reaches its prime, it's power only grows in strength, rise and conquer your foes_, as I synchro summon the level 5 synchro monster, Phoenixian Burst Dragon! (Lv 5 / ATK: 1900 / DEF: 1600 / Fire / Synchro / Dragon) When this monster is synchro summoned, all monsters you control are switched to defense mode! Plus, since I used Dove The Deliverer of Nephthys as synchro material, it gains an additional 400 attack points, bringing it up to 2300 attack points! Now Phoenixian Burst Dragon, attack and destroy Yusei's Speed Warrior!" Jaxon explained

_Phoenixian Burst Dragon: 1900-2300 ATK_

"Sorry Speed Warrior." Yusei said as he watched his monster get destroyed

"Oh, by the way, when your monster is destroyed while it was in defense mode, you take damage equal to half of my monster's defense points! That means you lose another 800 life points!" Jaxon says as Yusei loses another 800 life points.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 2/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 2_

"Nice play but it'll take a lot more to beat me!" Yusei said

"I set another card facedown and end my turn! It's your move Yusei!" Jaxon says as he signals to Yusei.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 2/ Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 2_

" My turn. If I don't draw the card I need then I will lose… I draw!" Yusei exclaimed, drawing his card before smirking

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 3/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 3_

"I summon the tuner monster Junk Synchron (LV: 3/ Dark/ Warrior/ Tuner/ ATK: 1300/ DEF: 500) in attack mode! When he is summoned to the field, I can bring back one monster from my graveyard that is level 2 or below and the one I'm going to bring back is this one, Speed Warrior! Join the fight." Yusei said as Speed Warrior came back to the field as he said: "Now, I know you're thinking that both of my monsters can't beat your monsters as they are now, but not until I do this."

"Do what?" Jaxon asked.

"I activate the Speed Spell - Double Level. If I have monsters on my field whose levels can be increased to equal a level 8 Synchro monster then I can synchro summon it by removing 1 speed counter to increase my monsters levels to equal 8." Yusei explained

"Wait, so that means…" Jaxon said before Yusei suddenly interrupted him.

"I tune my level 4 Junk Synchron with my level 4 Speed Warrior to synchro summon! _Out of two will come one, and out of one will come great cosmic might! _Appear, Stardust Dragon (LV: 8/ Wind/ Dragon/ Synchro/ ATK: 2500/ DEF: 2000)!" Yusei exclaimed.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 3/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 2_

"How do you like that play?" asked Yusei

"Heh, it's worth nothing if you don't have any power behind that beast of yours!" Jaxon responded.

"There's more to that card's effect. It not only allows one synchro summon, but two." Yusei said.

"Wait, TWO synchro summons?!" Jaxon yelled out in shock.

"By banishing my Speed Spell from play, it brings back the two monsters I used to synchro summon Stardust to the field." Yusei said as both Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior came back to the field as he said: "Now, I tune my level 3 Junk Synchron with Speed Warrior to synchro summon! _Even the tiniest scrap has value and this monster will prove it! _Synchro Summon. Appear Junk Warrior (LV: 5/ Dark/ Warrior/ Synchro/ ATK: 2300/ DEF: 1300)!" Yusei exclaimed as Junk Warrior appeared next to Stardust Dragon

"Well isn't this just great! He just turned the momentum towards his favor!" Jaxon said to himself as he stared at the two monsters behind him.

"Now, Junk Warrior. Attack his Phoenixian Burst Dragon with Scrap Fist!" exclaimed Yusei

"Let me guess, you have an effect that will boost the attack of your Junk Warrior, don't you?" Jaxon says.

"No." Yusei replied

"What? You must have an effect that will boost its attack, otherwise your warrior will be destroyed!" Jaxon yells out curiously.

"They both have the same attack points so they will destroy each other." Yusei told Jaxon

"Wait, I forgot about my Phoenixian Burst Dragon! Just great!" Jaxon angrily says to himself as Junk Warrior gets ready to plow into his dragon.

"Got any surprises to stop me?" asked Yusei

"I activate my trap card, Mirror Force! Now all of your monsters are now destroyed!"

"You forgot about Stardust Dragon's effect, Jaxon!" Yusei said

"Stardust Dragon's effect?!" Jaxon says surprisingly.

"By releasing it from the field, your card is negated and destroyed." Yusei told Jaxon as Stardust Dragon disappeared

"So you sacrificed your own monster just to negate my trap card? So much for your Stardust Dragon!" Jaxon yelled out.

"Are you sure about that?" Yusei asked as both Junk Warrior and Phoenixian Burst Dragon were destroyed as he said: "I end my turn. When I end my turn, Stardust Dragon returns to my field."

"It returns?!" Jaxon asked shockingly as Stardust Dragon reappears on Yusei's side of the field. _Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 3/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 1_

"Your turn now." said Yusei

"I draw!" Jaxon yells while drawing a card. All of a sudden, his eyes slightly widened as he looked at the card he drew.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 3_

"Your Stardust Dragon doesn't scare me one bit Yusei. If you think you're going to win with Stardust Dragon that easily, you must be crazy! I summon Fire King Avatar Yaksha! ( Lv 4/ ATK: 1800/ DEF: 200/ Fire/ Effect/ Beast) This card allows me to destroy one card on my field or in my hand. I'll destroy another copy of Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys in my hand and send it to the graveyard! I then shall end my turn with a facedown. It's your move Yusei Fudo."

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 3_

"My turn, I draw!" Yusei said as he drew

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 4_

"I summon the tuner monster Nitro Synchro (LV: 2/ Fire/ Machine/ Tuner/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 100) in attack mode." Yusei said as the tuner appeared

"What are you gonna do with that little Nitro Synchro? Are you gonna synchro summon once again?" Jaxon asked.

"Kinda. I play my facedown card, Synchro Back. By returning my speed spell that I banished earlier, I can bring back a synchro I used with that spell." Yusei explained

"Let me guess, you're going to bring out Junk Warrior back aren't you?" Jaxon asked Yusei wondering what move he will do next.

"Yep so here he is. Junk Warrior." Yusei said as Junk Warrior appeared before he said: "But both he and Nitro Synchron won't be here for much longer at all."

"Another synchro summon?" Jaxon wondered.

"I remove from play my trap card, Synchro Back. When that happens, I can send two monsters on my field to increase a monster's attack points equal to their combined level times five hundred." Yusei explained

"Times 500?!" Jaxon asked loudly.

"So, I send from my field, Junk Warrior and Nitro Synchron to increase Stardust Dragon's attack points!" Yusei said to Jaxon.

_Stardust Dragon: 2500-6000 ATK_

"Can you top six thousand attack points?" asked Yusei

Jaxon without saying a word, raised his left arm towards Yusei, waving his fingers back and forth.

"Come on Yusei, attack me. You have 6000 attack points after all and my monster only has 1800. Which means that if you attack, not only I lose this duel, but my only chance to duel Jack Atlas for his crown. Unless you think I have something up my sleeve…"

"You always have surprises, so I know you probably have something up your sleeve." Yusei said

"Do I?" Jaxon asked back quietly.

"Stardust Dragon, attack his Fire King with Cosmic Flare!" exclaimed Yusei

Stardust Dragon shotout a huge beam of cosmic flare from its mouth and hurls it towards Jaxon's monster. However, the beam would soon be halted suddenly by something Yusei didn't expect to see.

"Hehe." Jaxon laughed softly as he revealed a card from his hand.

"I was hoping you would not attack me to prove that you would be smarter than I thought you would be, but you took the bait! I discard Sphere Kuriboh from my hand!"

"What?!" Yusei said in surprise

"That's right, by discarding Sphere Kuriboh from my hand, your Stardust Dragon's attack is negated! Not only that, but your dragon then automatically switches to defense mode!" Jaxon yelled out as the crowd cheered louder as the duel proceeded.

"Nice play, but my dragon still keeps that power it gained from my trap card!" Yusei said

"That may be the case, but it must hurt knowing that your opportunity of winning just got slammed right in your face! Hopefully you end your turn soon…" Jaxon said as Stardust Dragon switches into a defense stance.

"I end my turn." Yusei said

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 4_

"It's my move now, I draw!" Jaxon yells out.

_Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 6/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 5_

"Yusei, do you see my 6 speed counters I have?" Jaxon yells out at Yusei.

"What about them?" Yusei asked curiously

"Well, it's about time I put those counters into use! But first, I activate the effect of my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys from my Graveyard! During my standby phase, it special summons from the graveyard and destroys all spell and traps you control! Luckily for you, you don't have any cards in your back row, so you may be safe from its devastating effect, but that does not mean you're safe Yusei." Jaxon says.

"Oh boy." Yusei said

"I activate the speed spell, Rebirth of Nephthys! By giving up 2 speed counters and 200 life points, I can activate this speed spell and ritual summon a monster from my hand! A monster you have seen before with your very eyes…"

"Oh no." Yusei said with a scared toned

_Jaxon LP: 3800 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 4_

"In order to perform the ritual summon, I shall sacrifice my level 8 Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys monster from my field in order to perform a ritual summon! A phoenix dies in order to be reborn and resurrect stronger and wiser than ever before. Great phoenix, rise from the ashes of your failures, and be reborn to conquer the world! Here comes your end of time, as I ritual summon my great beast! Come forth, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys! (LV: 8/ ATK: 3000/ DEF: 1000/ Winged Beast/ Ritual/ Effect)"

It almost seemed as if destiny had plans for these monsters to combat one another. The crowd felt as if two gods were battling for supremacy right in front of their very eyes. As Cerulean appeared on Jaxon's side, both Yusei and Jaxon's marks appeared on their right arms. Jack Atlas, who was watching from the tower above, was also holding his right arm as his mark was appearing.

"Yusei! Why are the marks popping up again!?" Jaxon asked Yusei while being in some amounts of pain due to the resonating glow on his arm.

"I don't know." Yusei said

"I have a feeling if this duel doesn't end quickly, something bad is going to happen!" Jaxon yelled out before saying: "I activate another speed spell, Nephthys Steele! By giving up the rest of my speed counters and 1000 life points, I can return two Nephthys monsters from my graveyard back to my hand! I return both Disciple of Nephthys and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to my hand from the graveyard!"

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 0/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 4_

"Now Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack and destroy Yusei's Stardust Dragon! Blue Flames of Destruction!" Jaxon yelled as Cerulean lashed out a huge cylinder beam of blue flames towards Stardust Dragon, destroying it.

"Stardust, no!" Yusei said in shock, watching his dragon being destroyed

"I set two cards face down and end my turn. Your move!" Jaxon says.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 0/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 4_

"I draw!" Yusei said, drawing a card, hoping it will help.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 1/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 5_

"I summon Sonic Chick (LV: 1/ Earth/ Winged Beast/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 300) in defense mode! I end my turn with a facedown. Your move." Yusei said

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 1/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 5_

"I draw!" said Jaxon

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 2/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 6_

"You may have a card facedown Yusei. However, that doesn't mean I'm scared to do anything!" Jaxon yells as he raises his right hand pointing at his two monsters before saying: "I activate Cerulean's effect!"

"What?!" shocked Yusei said

"One of Cerulean's special abilities is one of the most powerful out of every other monster! By destroying my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, your Sonic Chick is destroyed by my Cerulean's effect!" Jaxon yelled out before the blue phoenix rained down heavy blue colored meteor showers upon Sonic Chick, not only destroying it, but leaving Yusei wide open and defenseless.

"Great." Yusei said

"This duel is over! Cerulean, attack Yusei directly and give me victory! Blue flames of destruction!" Jaxon yells as Cerulean rises towards the sky, opening its wings and mouth and revealing a large amount of blue flames tumbling towards Yusei.

"Hold on Jaxon. You forgot about my facedown card. Reveal, Defense Draw!" Yusei exclaimed as his trap card came up to reveal it.

"Defense Draw? What does that trap card do?!" Jaxon said with his eyes wide open in shock, thinking he had the duel won.

"This trap card makes the damage I receive to zero and I get to draw a card as a bonus." Yusei explained.

"Grr! Lucky you!" Jaxon yelled out of anger as he watched Yusei draw a card from his deck, knowing that Yusei has the potential to turn the duel around in his favor once again.

"If I don't draw the card I need, then I will lose this duel. Let me draw the card." Yusei said as he drew the card while the attack from Jaxon's Cerulean was negated as he smiled, knowing he drew the card he needed.

"Hmm?" Jaxon slightly said to himself, seeing Yusei smiling at him.

" Is it the end of your turn now?" asked Yusei

"It's your move…" Jaxon said to him as Yusei adds the card to his hand.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 2/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 6_

"I draw!" Yusei exclaimed, drawing the card as he looked determined in his eyes

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 3/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 7_

"First off. I activate the Speed Spell - Angel Baton!" Yusei said to Jaxon.

"Angel Baton? Never heard of that card before!" Jaxon said back.

"Angel Baton can be activated when I have two or more speed counters. I can draw two cards and then send one card from my hand to the graveyard." explained Yusei

Jaxon didn't know what Yusei was planning next. Even after all of the studying he did on Yusei, he didn't think about the cards that Yusei could have possibly played.

"Now, I activate the Speed Spell - Shift Down!" Yusei said after drawing his two cards and sending one of them to the graveyard

"Shift-Down? Is that a sign that you're slowing down your speed?" Jaxon jokingly said to Yusei after he played the speed spell.

"With this speed spell. I can remove six of my speed counters to draw two cards." Yusei said as he drew two cards and watching his speed counters go down to one.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 3/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 1_

"I summon Hyper Synchron (LV: 4/ Light/ Machine/ Tuner/ ATK: 1600/ DEF: 800) in attack mode!" Yusei said as his monster showed up to the field

"_What is Yusei doing? Why summon a tuner monster onto the field when he has no other monsters to tune with?"_ Jaxon thought.

"I set two cards facedown and end my turn." Yusei said

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 3/Yusei LP 2900 SPC: 1_

"Very well then, I draw!"

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 2900 SPC: 2_

"During my standby phase, since Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys was destroyed by a card effect in my last turn, it special summons itself from the graveyard and destroys all spell and trap cards on the field!" Jaxon yells as Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys was about to rain down fire from the sky above, but the great bird was very shortly halted.

"Not so fast! I activate my facedown card. Stardust Flash! If Stardust Dragon is in the graveyard then your monster's effect is negated, attack points reduced to zero and your monster can't switch positions." Yusei explained as one of his cards flipped face up.

"No!" Jaxon yelled out.

"I activate my other face down card, Graceful Revival! This card let's me bring back a level 2 or below monster back from my graveyard! Sonic Chick, appear!" Yusei said.

"So, you decided to bring out a monster that has no chance of beating my two monsters? That seems like a complete letdown!" Jaxon said in response to Yusei's move.

"Separate, they can't win but together they can. See, my trap, Stardust Flash has a different effect when it's in the graveyard than what it's effect is when it was on the field." Yusei said.

"Umm, your trap has a second effect?!" Jaxon yells back.

"If it's in the graveyard with Stardust Dragon then I can use it like this. I can change a type of monster I have to a different one while decreasing a monster's level by one. For Example, I can change my Hyper Synchron from a Machine type to a Warrior type monster and decrease it's level by one and its effect changes as well." Yusei explained

"So what? That doesn't scare me one bit Yusei! It's gonna take more than that to get to me." Jaxon responds as Yusei makes his move

"_If they can stay until next turn, I can bring out Armory Arm and combine it with Stardust._" Yusei told himself

"Regardless, my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys stays on the field. However, it won't stay for long! I activate Cerulean's effect! By destroying my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys AND my Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, both your Sonic Chick and your Hyper Synchron are now destroyed!" Jaxon yells while both Cerulean and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys combine together and dive bomb into Yusei's monsters, completely annihilating them both.

"Great. Now what?" Yusei asked as both of his monsters were destroyed.

"Luckily for you, you'll survive this turn, but that doesn't mean all of your life points are safe! I summon Defender of Nephthys! ( LV: 2/ ATK: 1400/ DEF: 200/ Spellcaster/ Effect) This card allows me to destroy 1 card in my hand, and in exchange, I can special summon a level 4 or lower Nephthys monster from my hand! I'll destroy the Awakening of Nephthys trap card in my hand to special summon the level 2 Chronicler of Nephthys from my hand ( LV: 2/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 1200/ Spellcaster/Effect) in defense mode! Now Defender of Nephthys, attack Yusei directly!" Jaxon said. Shortly after, the young yellowish phoenix darted towards Yusei and flapped its wings, causing Yusei's duel runner to slightly drift in each direction before regaining control.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 1500 SPC: 1_

"I need to turn this duel around and fast." Yusei said

"I set two cards face down and end my turn!" Jaxon said as the two duelists continue to circle around the track.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 4/Yusei LP: 1500 SPC: 1_

"My turn. I draw!" Yusei said as he drew the card, adding it to his hand

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 5/Yusei LP: 1500 SPC: 2_

"I end my turn with a facedown." Yusei said

"That's it?" Jaxon said. "Seems like you finally ran out of fuel. Don't worry, I'll put this duel to rest right now!"

"Let's see who wins then. Your move!" exclaimed Yusei

"We shall see, I draw!" Jaxon yells back.

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 6/Yusei LP: 1500 SPC: 3_

"Once again, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys special summons from the graveyard, destroying all spell and trap cards on the field!" Jaxon yells.

"There goes my facedown." Yusei said as his Stardust Re Spark trap card was destroyed.

"Now, I activate Cerulean's effect from my graveyard! Since it was destroyed by a card effect on my last turn, I get to special summon it from the graveyard!" Jaxon yells out while his Cerulean reappears out on the field.

"Not good." Yusei said, looking at his own defeat

"Yusei, you have dueled better than I have expected. You deflected almost every shot I threw at you. However, you won't be able to deflect this incoming attack! Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, attack Yusei directly and END THIS DUEL!" Jaxon yells.

"No!" Yusei exclaimed

_Jaxon LP: 2800 SPC: 6/Yusei LP: 0 SPC: 3_

"_IT IS ALL OVER! Yusei has been defeated in convincing fashion! What an upset we have witnessed here today! Jaxon will now move on to face the champion of dueling, Jack Atlas!"_

It was finally over, Jaxon had won the duel. Yusei had been defeated.

Behind him, Jaxon could see Yusei spinning out of control. Before he went towards the victory circle, he turned around and accelerated as hard as he could to check on Yusei who was laying on the ground with his back on his duel runner.

"Yusei! Are you alright?" Jaxon exclaimed at Yusei who was almost motionless upon arriving at the scene, Yusei noticed his presence and responded with slight movement while moaning in pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Yusei answered.

"You don't look fine to me, we've got to get you to the infield care center!" Jaxon anxiously said as he tried to move Yusei but he was soon stopped in his tracks by Yusei, who resisted.

"Don't worry about me pal. I'll be ok." Yusei moaned out as he got up on his own power. "By the way, I would keep an eye on your mark if I were you." Yusei adds as he reveals his mark under his torn sleeve.

"Do you happen to know anything about these marks?" Jaxon asked. "Especially my mark?"

"These marks we possess represent the Crimson Dragon, and our ace monsters are somehow related to this. I'm not sure what the true motive behind all of this is." Yusei responds.

"How about my mark Yusei?" Jaxon asks. "Mine seems to be completely different from the rest, despite the red glow."

"If I'm going to be honest Jaxon, I'm worried about the mark you possess." Yusei worryingly says to Jaxon. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Jaxon looked at his mark one more time, still glowing bright red as ever. He started to look worried thinking back on what Misty said to him about his mark. Now that Yusei said something that was worthy of being worrisome, he wondered if everything was said to this point was unfolding as Misty would predict.

The medics soon arrived and escorted Yusei into an ambulance to be taken to the care center for evaluation. Jaxon would be left alone, standing on the track between him and Yusei's abandoned duel runner. The crowd before him showered Jaxon with unlimited amounts of cheers and chants of his last name. He looked around the stadium and before he knew it, he looked up to the tower where Jack Atlas was watching the duel from.

Jack continued to look down on Jaxon, while grasping his right arm that held a similar red glowing mark.

"_So be it, Jaxon."_ Jack said to himself. _"Even though you made it this far, the victory you are soaking in will be your last in this tournament! I'm the king of turbo dueling, and if you think the duel against the king is going to be just as easy as your last duel, you might as well lose the duel on your first turn!"_

At the track, Jaxon continued to look up at the tower while holding his right arm. Immediately, he wondered how he was going to be able to beat Jack Atlas, while worrying about the potential dangers looming ahead as Yusei previously described to him.

"Jack Atlas, I'm coming for your title!" Jaxon yelled out. "Get ready!"


	9. Chapter 8: Fortune Cup Finale - Part 1

**Chapter 8: Fortune Cup Finale - Dragons and Flames!**

"_What a duel we have witnessed here today! Satellite's Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo has been upset in convincing fashion by Jaxon 'Vagabond' Meyer, in a duel that will go down as one of the biggest upsets the world will ever see!"_

For the second time in the tournament, Jaxon stood tall and victorious. The crowd cheered on the young duelist as Jaxon stared at the ambulance transporting Yusei towards the infield care center.

While he stared at the ambulance, he noticed his mark was still brightly glowing along his right arm. He thought about the words that Yusei said to him after the duel, regarding how things may turn bad for Jaxon.

"_Is Yusei right about all of this? Is my mark a sign of trouble looming ahead?_ He thought while looking at his mark. _ "No, he must be saying that because he lost and is hurt. He most likely said that just to make me feel bad. I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't afford to lose my only opportunity to face Jack Atlas!" _

Suddenly, MC walked quickly towards Jaxon, just like he did after Jaxon's duel with Akiza. Jaxon quickly caught sight of the man, jokingly sighing.

"_Oh great, not this guy again." _He processed in his head as he smiled at the approaching man.

"Ladies and gentlemen I'm here with the victor, Jaxon 'Vagabond' Meyer!" MC announced as the crowd began to cheer loudly for Jaxon who was one duel away from possibly becoming the new world dueling champion. "First off, congrats on the biggest win of your pro career! This is a huge accomplishment for you considering the fact that even though you have a lot of experience dueling wise, you haven't had a lot of experience in the pro circuit!"

"Yea it's pretty surreal to be honest! By the way, you got some nice looking hair." Jaxon said as MC and the crowd reacted in laughter. "You know, going into this duel against Yusei, I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I had to execute every move perfectly against this guy, because if you make a mistake, he'll make you pay for it. Luckily I trapped him into my never ending cycle by special summoning my Sacred Phoenix every standby phase, and eventually I got my Cerulean on the field, and from there he really couldn't do much."

"With this duel behind you, there is one duel left in this tournament." MC said as the crowd cheered, knowing who the two duelists were going to duel each other in the final match of the tournament. "This next duel may be your toughest opponent yet, what are your thoughts on the upcoming duel against Jack Atlas?"

"I can't wait! Get ready Jackie boy! I'm coming for your title!" Jaxon yelled out. After yelling out his words the crowd started to cheer loudly, but not for Jaxon, rather someone else.

"Hold on a second, I think someone you know very well would like to have a few words with you!" MC said. Jaxon then realized someone was starting to walk towards him. It was Jack Atlas. Jaxon smirked in response and walked towards Jack quickly. MC followed Jaxon, wanting to hear what Jaxon and Jack had to say to one another.

"Jackie, how was the view up there?" Jaxon asked Jack.

"Meh, I'd rather be down here dueling than watch your duels up in the tower so I can actually do something that doesn't bore me." Jack responded. The crowd gasped in shock after hearing Jack's response. Jaxon didn't seem phased after hearing Jack's words.

"If you want to talk about boring, let's talk about you being the dueling champion!" Jaxon quickly responded. The crowd got even louder in reaction, it seemed as if no one in attendance had ever seen someone confronting Jack Atlas until now.

"I bet no one in America knows who you are!" Jack responds. In response, Jaxon laughed knowing he had quite a bit of a following back in America.

"Is that all you got Jackie boy?" Jaxon jokingly asked. "Want to bring up popularity in one's country? No one knows what dueling even is in Britain. You starting a career in European Football would help you gain more fans than you will ever have as dueling champion!"

The crowd reacted pretty loudly in response to Jaxon's words. Jack didn't take it lightly and showed an angry look towards Jaxon, almost wanting to punch him in the face.

"Get on my level before you start trash talking little man!" Jack said. Jaxon laughed once again as he started to hear boos from the crowd.

"I'm already on your level boy, I'm gonna duel you within an hour and a half!" Jaxon says back.

"Here's a spoiler alert in that duel, you are going home with nothing while I come out on top as champion like always! You won't be able to keep up with the master of faster!" Jack yells as Jaxon shook his head while smiling. He knew he was in Jack's head based on the tone and volume of Jack's voice.

"Spoiler alert? Boy after I'm done with you, that spoiler is going to turn into a deleted scene! A scene that no one ain't gonna watch!" Jaxon yelled back at Jack.

All of a sudden, Jack slightly stepped back before attempting to push Jaxon away as hard as he could. Fortunately for Jaxon, he saw Jack raise his arms, causing him to intercept and push Jack away pretty hard. Jack nearly fell as a result.

The security guards surrounding the two quickly separated the two duelists as far as they could from each other. Jack desperately tried to break away in an attempt to go after Jaxon, but it was all for nothing. Jaxon smilied in response, knowing he had the advantage in mental warfare.

The stadium was then filled with the chants of Jaxon's last name. It seemed like the crowd wanted to see a new champion after all. After a few seconds, Jaxon calmly walked away and headed towards the VIP duelist section. Meanwhile, Jack continuously tried to break through the grasp of the guards, but once again failed to do so.

While Jaxon walked away, he raised his hands, signaling the crowd to get even louder and crazier. The fans seemed to be pumped for the upcoming duel later on.

As soon as he entered the inner tunnel along with his duel runner, he recognized the glowing mark along his arm. He then looked back at Jack; he also had a similar mark along his arm.

"_Well that's strange. I never knew he had a mark of his own!" _Jaxon thought. _"I wonder what's going to happen when we finally face off…" _

Jaxon soon returned to the duelist VIP room with his duel runner being stored in the parking area, where it would sit still until his duel would begin.

He took a seat at one of the empty spots on the sofa; deciding to watch some of the Fortune Cup coverage that was being broadcasted.

"_Welcome back to the Fortune Cup post duel show ladies and gentlemen! If you somehow missed the last duel that we have just witnessed here this evening, boy oh boy did you miss one of the greatest duels both of us have ever seen!"_

"Shame on those people." Jaxon said to himself while chuckling.

"_The way that this duel played out the way it did, it felt like we were in a war zone between two armies. Both of these duelists absolutely dueled their hearts out there on the track! It really was a shame to see one of these guys lose, and fortunately for Jaxon, he doesn't have to deal with a loss going into the finale of the Fortune Cup against Jack Atlas."_

The broadcast later showed highlights of the duel, which put a smile on Jaxon's face.

"Man, I really did better than I thought out there!" He said, "If I can just perform like that or even better, I got a pretty good chance of beating Jack after all!"

"_You know, the duel itself was awesome, what happened after the duel was just as awesome! Jaxon had a post duel interview after beating Yusei, and what happened during? See for yourself."_

Jaxon quickly sat up at a near 90 degree angle as he and Jack Atlas's trash talk was featured on the post duel broadcast.

"You seem to enjoy watching yourself on TV don't you?" Someone said behind him.

"Hmm?" Jaxon said.

Jaxon then turned around to see who was behind him. His satisfying look on his face turned into a nearly shocked face as he recognized the person who was behind him. It was a familiar face he met just recently.

"M-Misty?" Jaxon said softly, but shockingly.

"Surprised to see me again my dear?" Misty joking answered while giggling.

"_Oh great, not her again." _Jaxon thought. _"I know she's beautiful and a sweet woman, but what if she tries to do the same thing in our last conversation?"_

"What's wrong? Has no woman ever called you 'My dear'?" Misty jokingly asked Jaxon.

"That's not what I'm wondering about." Jaxon responded. "I'm wondering how in Cerulean's name you got down here. Only duelists are allowed in this area."

"You should probably take a long at what I have in my hand." Misty responded as she held up a rectangular card.

"Wait, where did you get that VIP pass?" Jaxon asked.

"Well, I bought it. Simple as that." Misty answered. "Since I'm a model that earns so much money, I decided to have one for myself to get closer to such duelists like you."

"You bought that VIP pass just to get close to me didn't you?" Jaxon quickly asked.

"Well, of course I did!" Misty responded quickly. "As soon as your name was in the Fortune Cup Tournament, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see you compete!"

"Huh, interesting. It's rare that I have super fans like you come by to see me before I duel my opponents." Jaxon says.

Misty's look on her face turned into a more serious look. There was something else that she felt like she needed to say to him.

"Here's the thing. I know you think that I'm a little crazy because I knew you were in the tournament." Misty said to Jaxon. "However, to tell you the truth, I knew who you were before you even entered the tournament."

"I know Misty, I know I'm more popular than I thi-" Jaxon suddenly stopped mid sentence, realizing what Misty just said.

"Wait, did you just say you knew me before I entered the tournament?" Jaxon suddenly asked, wanting answers.

"Yes." Misty answered. "I knew you, and while you may not remember your past life that much, I certainly remember mine."

"What are you trying to say?" Jaxon asked anxiously.

"What I'm trying to say, is that I was friends with you so long ago." Misty answered.

Jaxon's eyes widened in response. He didn't remember Misty when he was a lot younger. Jaxon suddenly got up from his seat, looking frustrated and fed up with Misty.

"Ok Misty, I think you're just saying this nonsense just to get close to me. Stay here while I go get security." Jaxon said as he proceeded to head his way only to be stopped by Misty.

"No! I'm serious!" Misty yelled out as she jumped in front of Jaxon. "I promise you I'm telling the truth! Please don't get security to take me away!

"I'm sorry, but you have freaked me out for far too long! Out of my way!" Jaxon yelled back as both him and Misty verbally argued with one another.

"Please! I'm begging you! You have to believe me! I have the proof!" Misty yelled back quickly as she pulled something out of her pocket from her white robe she wears.

"Oh please, are you gonna try to flirt and seduce me like the last time we met not so long ago?" Jaxon asked as he shrugged angrily. "If that's the case, then consider this as the last time you'll ever see me in your life, because I'm fed up with your tricks!"

"Maybe these photos will convince you otherwise!" Misty answered back as she handed Jaxon pictures of two kids, a boy and a girl holding some cards in their hands.

At first, Jaxon didn't know who these two children were, he thought it was just some random kids that loved to duel, even at a very young age. That was what Jaxon was thinking, until Misty broke his thoughts seconds later.

"I figure that you know who the boy in the picture is." Misty claimed as she looked at Jaxon, who was staring at the picture.

"Let me guess, it's me isn't it?" Jaxon said, knowing that it was very likely him in the picture.

"Indeed, it is you. Holding your favorite card in the air to the camera." Misty said back.

"Do you recognize the young girl in the picture?" Misty asked Jaxon, Who suddenly looked stunned while looking back between Misty and the picture.

"Is it really you in this picture?" Jaxon asked loudly.

"Yes, that is me, holding one of my more powerful cards in my deck. Which was 'Reptilianne Hydra'." Misty answered. She then started to slightly tear up as she started to dig out more photos of the two children from her pocket and soon handed them to Jaxon.

"You were such a sweet and unique kind boy from the others." Misty said as her eyes started to fill up with tears. Jaxon soon caught on to this, however he could barely focus on that as his past life flashed right before his eyes.

"I remember like it was yesterday, when we first met outside after a long day of class. I remember stepping outside waiting for my ride to show up, and then I saw you, sitting on the ground with your cards away from the general group." Misty said while wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"When I first saw you, I felt happy, knowing I wasn't the only one that loved to duel and collect Yugioh cards. So I then walked towards you, wanting to see if you like to duel. You looked pretty timid and shy at first when I walked up to you, but you were so sweet and nice when you greeted me back after I said hi to you." Misty said to Jaxon.

"Well, if that was the case, I do apologize for being shy. It's just who I am, a kid that was afraid to talk to the other kids in fear that I would be viewed as weird and unfit to become their friends." Jaxon said in a negative tone as he looked down to the floor, feeling bad for himself.

"No no no, don't feel sorry. Besides, you sounded normal when we talked. Even if you stuttered here and there, you were still acting like the other kids who were having their own conversations." Misty quickly said back.

"I also remember when you complimented my dress and my hair. Which I still and will always remember as long as I am alive on this planet." Misty said as she smiled. "From there, we would end up dueling and trading cards with one another until one of our parents would pick us up."

Misty then proceeded to show Jaxon another photo of the two. This time, the photo showed the same kids, older and more mature in their middle school years.

"This was when we were involved in a club that involved card games. I still remember the amount of duels that we had during club hours. Those were the best." Misty said.

"I'm sure they were." Jaxon said back as Misty showed one last photo to Jaxon. As she handed the photo to him, her eye-filled with tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"This was the last photo we ever took together before we seperated... My family decided to move overseas in New Domino City because my parents got new jobs in that area. It was then I had to sneak in one more photo of us before I left with my family."

"Hmm, no wonder why I didn't see you the following school year." Jaxon jokingly said back as Misty nodded in response.

"If I'm going to be honest, I really wish I would have told you about me moving away to New Domino City. I felt so heartbroken that we left without letting you know, because I felt like I completely abandoned you." Misty said as she stumbled on her words.

"Well, there's no need to feel heartbroken anymore. I'm right here right in front of you." Jaxon said as he handed the photos back to Misty. In return she smiled at Jaxon, knowing that what he just said was indeed true. He was indeed in front of her after all.

"And I'm glad you are in front of me, because I also came here to tell you something else." Misty tells him.

"Spit it out. I'm listening." Jaxon said back to her.

"I've been holding these certain thoughts about you for a long time, and I don't think I can hold them anymore." Misty says.

"What thoughts exactly?" Jaxon asks back curiously.

"Well, ever since the end of our middle school days, I've started to think about you more often." Misty says to Jaxon.

"_Well, I think I know where this is going…" _Jaxon quickly thought as Misty continued to speak out her thoughts.

"I really wanted to tell you this, but I was too afraid to tell you because I felt like you would feel heartbroken; considering the fact I would have to tell you I would be moving overseas." Misty exclaims.

"Well, if there was the chance to spew those thoughts, now's your chance. Like I said earlier, I'm right here." Jaxon said with his arms extended to his side.

"Your right, I need to tell you this." Misty said to Jaxon as she walked closer to him by the second. "Jaxon, I- I think I have-"

"Have what?" Jaxon abruptly asks as Misty stumbles on her words.

"I h-have, feelings for you." Misty quietly says.

"You have what?" Jaxon asks her in response.

"Feelings." Misty quickly says in a louder tone while blushing quite heavily.

"Feelings of what?" Jaxon quickly asks Misty.

"Feelings of, you know, more than being best friends." Misty answers Jaxon as her blushing continues to intensify.

"Oh." He says back. It would be the only word that would come out of his mouth as after hearing Misty's slight confession, his face blemished heavily and the rest of his body froze in response.

Hearing a woman confessing her feelings to a person like Jaxon was something that he wouldn't imagine happening for quite awhile. Due to this, he wasn't expecting to hear something like this coming out of a woman, especially from a popular model like Misty.

Jaxon then attempted to answer Misty's confession, only to be halted by Misty putting her right index finger on Jaxon's lips, signaling him to not say anything else.

"Shhhh." She whispered seconds later as she got closer to Jaxon, nearly touching heads. Jaxon attempted to gain some space between him and Misty, but a wall behind prevented him from doing so.

"C-can we talk about the rest of this later?" Jaxon suddenly says in an attempt to escape the situation he wasn't ready for. "I have a turbo duel against Jack Atlas to prepare for!"

"Well, I suppose we can." Misty responded while smiling at Jaxon before stepping back, giving Jaxon room to go back towards where his deck was placed.

"Hopefully we can have time to ourselves after your turbo duel, regardless if you win or lose." Misty said to Jaxon as he added and took cards out of his deck before shuffling it.

"I surely hope so as well. Maybe then I'll let you finish what you were about to do before I stopped you so suddenly…" Jaxon said in a low tone.

Misty then smiled at Jaxon and started to head towards the doorway, but then was stopped by Jaxon once again.

"Wait, Misty!" Jaxon yelled out. "Just to alert you ahead of time, I would consider myself not as normal as the majority of people out there."

"What? What are you trying to say?" Misty asked, not knowing why Jaxon considered himself not as "normal".

"To put it in simple terms, I have something called ASD, which is short for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Just to let you know." Jaxon told her.

"Oh, I know Jaxon. I knew you had it since we were little." Misty replied.

"Really? How did you know back then?" Jaxon asked her.

"It was that day you went with my friends to my birthday party so many years ago. Your late mother then proceeded to tell me that her son has ASD and then she told me to be cautious with you." She explains.

"Well, there was a good reason why she said be cautious with him." Jaxon nodded back in response.

After hearing what Jaxon had to say, Misty walked back towards him with a worried look on her face. She wanted answers as to why he would say such a thing. It almost seemed to be uncharacteristic of Jaxon to get down on himself often.

"What do you mean there was a good reason?" Misty asked him.

"You know, people with ASD are different from one another. Most are at the higher end of the spectrum, which results in those people requiring special attention from therapists and doctors as they don't function normally as regular humans do. Luckily, I'm one with a very mild case, so I can function just like anyone." Jaxon told Misty as he looked down at his cards. "However, that doesn't mean I'm perfect. Sometimes there would be times where I would be happy, then all of a sudden I lose my cool, and there would be times where I have emotional breakdowns randomly. These were mainly the reasons why I never interacted with the others and would rather spend time alone, because that's where I would feel comfortable."

"There would be times that people would look at me, then view me as someone who is weird, unstable, dyslexic, and who is easy to make fun of. I tried to keep it together mentally, but it got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. One day, a kid was unfortunate enough to witness one of the worst beatings he received because of me." Jaxon said as he continued to adjust his deck. Misty then suddenly saw droplets of liquid that splashed under Jaxon, she then realized that it was Jaxon's very own tears that formed within his eyes. She proceeded to grab a box of tissues that was set near the closed doorway and set the box beside him.

"Can you tell me what happened that day?" Misty asked Jaxon, who quickly pulled a couple of tissues from the box and wiped his tear-filled eyes. She then looked more worried about him, wanting to know what happened to the other kid that Jaxon apparently had beaten earlier in his life.

"So, It was at the end of the day, at around 2:45. I was walking outside in our parking lot towards my car when I saw a group of underclassmen gossiping about me. They were making fun of me on how I stuttered on my words answering an instructor's question. I then decided to confront them about it." Jaxon said as he momentarily paused to grab more tissues to wipe his own tears.

"Well, about 15 seconds later, the conversation turned into a near fist fight. At that point I couldn't control it anymore, so I spat on him. Let's just say that it turned into a fight and I ended up unscaved and also ended up sending the other guy to the hospital." Jaxon concludes.

"You sent him to the hospital? I guess you beat him up that badly didn't you?" Misty asks.

"Indeed I did, and I don't regret a damn thing about it." Jaxon boldy responds. "I ended up being temporarily suspended as a result before becoming a part time student since I completed all of my other credits."

"Well, it's good you managed to get through those four years of hell." Misty replied.

"If I'm going to be honest, I only became a part time student just so I can get away from the general population." Jaxon abruptly claims out. "After that incident, my social anxiety skyrocketed. I needed to be home as early as possible, just so I can be in my comfort zone with my cards that I have in front of me."

Jaxon then takes a long look at his ace monster "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" in his hand. The card that seemed to be the lonely friend in his life, even though it wasn't a human.

"You see, it's this card. This may be just a dueling card to most people, but I feel some sort of strong connection between us. I can feel it's spirit whenever I'm down in the dumps." Jaxon humbles out. "Ever since I found this card, it almost seemed as if my life turned for the better. I was actually having fun in life for once."

"Having fun in life? What do you mean by that? Do you mean having fun dueling others?" Misty asked.

"Correct, I went out of my shell that was the dark shades of my home and showed my skills in front of others. This was when I found out the true potential of my cards; with these cards, I can become a future champion one day." Jaxon replies while finalizing his adjustments made to his deck. "And look where I am right now, one duel away from fulfilling my late mom's promise of becoming champion of the world!"

"Well, you got one opponent standing in your way. You know who he is." Misty states. "Jack's someone that you shouldn't take lightly. At the same time however, you are Jack's toughest opponent to this date. If I had to pick who wins, I'm confident you will come out on top."

"Eh? Really?" Jaxon says in a surprised tone.

"Yes. I know you can beat him, and I know you will. You came all the way here to win the whole damn thing, not to become a runner up to the reigning champion!" Misty yells out in confidence. "You got this, you have the skills, the runner, and the heart of a champion!"

After hearing those words, Jaxon nodded at her in response. He then got up from his seat while putting his deck within his case. There was an hour left before his final duel with Jack Atlas would finally take place. Before he left the doorway to work on finalizing adjustments on his runner, he stopped himself and looked at Misty one more time.

"Misty, I'm glad you stopped by to see me. Maybe you're not crazy after all." Jaxon joked at Misty, who smiled at him.

"Well, I'm happy to hear those words." Misty said back while smiling heavily. "Oh, and be careful out there on the track. This may be the final duel of the whole tournament, but it may be the most dangerous duel you will take part in as of tonight."

"Why say that though?" Jaxon asks.

"Think about it, the two of you have marks on your arms don't you?" She asks.

"Yes, yes we do. Why ask?" Jaxon asks back.

"I ask, because you two duelists may have the ability to awaken a greater being. That being the Crimson Dragon." Misty tells Jaxon.

"The Crimson Dragon? Are you talking about the dragon that holds all of the mark of the signers?" Jaxon asks.

"Indeed. It would be dangerous to not know what kind of powers all of you have, especially a unique duelist like you." Misty responds to Jaxon, who looked at his mark on his arm.

"I'll be careful, I promise." Jaxon says as he gathers his belongings. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a promise to fulfill, a promise made by my parents before they died."

Jaxon proceeds to head towards his duel runner along with his other belongings to prepare for his turbo duel against Jack Atlas. Misty stayed within the room as she saw Jaxon disappear from her sight, feeling worried that Jaxon would succumb to the pressure and power he would have to control. She then closed her eyes and prayed for Jaxon's victory and safety

"_Good luck Jaxon, you have the power of the Phoenix of your side. May Cerulean give you the strength and the will to overcome anything in your way. God bless you, Jaxon."_

**~LINEBREAK~**

It was time for the finale of the Fortune Cup. Both Jack and Jaxon were at their duel runners; preparing them for the final duel of the day. While the dueling mainly matters in this scenario, the duel runners that these two duelists possess is the backbone behind all of the speed and traction that will be presented for all of the people in attendance.

Both Jaxon and Jack were testing the power of their duel runners to make sure everything was just right. After all, it was a turbo duel. They needed to have as much power within their duel runners as possible in order to keep up with each other, but also needed to be under the power limit.

Both duelists however, were at opposite ends of the stadium due to their physical confrontation after the Jaxon vs Yusei duel. The stadium employees, guards, and authorities of the tournament want to have little disruption between the two as much as possible. It is almost as if two UFC fighters had to be in separate locker rooms because of either bad blood or other specific reasons.

Regardless, both duelists completed testing without any issues and were ready to be on their way. Jaxon and Jack wanted to waste no time clawing each other out on the track.

"Looks like everything is running as you please Jack!" Mina says to Jack staring into the distance, thinking about how to combat Jaxon since he has never faced him before.

"Good." Jack replied. "It better be running normally, or else I'm in for humiliation!"

"I wouldn't worry! Your next opponent doesn't seem to be that powerful. Besides, it's that Jaxon guy, I can assure you that he's going to pay when he meets you on the track!" Mina yells out in anger. Jack in the meantime, continued to stare outwards.

"To be honest Mina, he's more powerful than you think, you should stop thinking that I'm going to just blow him out of the water." Jack responds as Mina widens her eyes after hearing his words.

"W-what do you mean?" Mina asks back. "You are the king after all, you have this in the bag!"

"It's like I told you earlier Mina, he's no wannabe. He's a legit duelist." Jack answers. "He knows who I am, and he's here for a reason, to win my crown."

"But you're the greatest duelist and the champion, you should defeat him with ease! I didn't know what I would do if you were to lose…" Mina says.

"Well, if I were to lose, it's like nothing bad would be happening anyways. I can easily come back and win it back!" Jack says back in confidence. "But I'm going to make sure that my defeat will not happen. I'm the master of faster, I'm Jack Atlas, and I will not let my fans down!"

Jack then started up his duel runner, ready to proceed to his entrance area.

"Go get him Jack, show the world who the champion is!" Mina yells out as Jack speeds off on his runner towards his gate.

Meanwhile on the other side, Jaxon packed up his belongings into his carry on as everyone will be heading out when this duel concludes. He then pulls out his duel runner keys and turns on the engine to start up his runner.

Before he drives off, he takes a minute to think about his parents. The very people who not only welcomed him to Earth, but also told him a meaningful promise. He then closes his eyes, grabs his cross necklace hanging around his neck and prays for safety, strength, and for his late parents.

"_Mother and father, I'm finally here. I'm here to fulfill your promise, the promise of becoming a champion. I will not let you down, never. I will do whatever it takes to win this one last duel to take me to the top. I hope you enjoy the show from heaven and beyond."_

Jaxon then looks up at the sky and pats his chest three times before driving off to his entrance area. While he was driving, he noticed that two guards on the opposite of each end were signaling him to park his runner until his entrance started.

"Right here is fine sir." One of the guards said to Jaxon as he stopped the runner in front of the closed gate.

"Guess y'all don't wanna have me go out too early don't ya?" Jaxon jokingly asked as both guards laughed along in response.

"Nah we gotta put you in your place if you know what I mean. Don't want to let the dogs out too early!" The other guard says.

"Well thankfully since I'm the challenger, I get to go out first. This dog right here is hungry for the world title!" Jaxon yells out. "I can't wait for this whole duel to commence!"

Both Jaxon and the guards joked with each other until the lights went out and the videoboard started to play Jaxon's promo, which in return jolted the volume of the fanbase from mild to outright intense.

"_Oh man, this crowd wants a new champion don't they?" _He thought to himself as he watched the promo between the two duelists.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for our main event of the evening! This bout is for the world championship of dueling!"_ The PA announcer states out.

Jaxon's theme song then starts playing; what follows is an even louder roar of cheers and screaming as he revs up the engine while the stadium's cameras focus on him. As he realizes he sees himself, he flaps his arms and hands up and down to get the crowd even more thunderous, which it did.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the challenger! Residing from New Domino City, Out of Kansas City, Missouri, USA… the young, the undefeated, and the number one ranked dueling contender in the world... Jaxon "Vagabond"Meyer!"_

About forty seconds into his theme song, the gate to the track quickly lowers and opens up the pathway for Jaxon. He immediately accelerates down the pathway in front of hundreds of thousands of fans cheering on him. There was also a spotlight shining down on him, giving him a Hollywood- like appearance.

"New Domino City, WHO WANTS TO SEE A NEW CHAMPION TONIGHT!?" Jaxon screamed out. His voice resonates throughout the stadium, and in return causes the crowd to nearly fill the entire stadium with louds amounts of cheers, chants, and rhythm claps to his theme.

Jaxon continued to cruise around the track until he reached back to the start line, where he stopped his duel runner, got out and signaled the crowd to get even louder.

Then the stadium went black, which means that Jack Atlas is going to come out in minutes. The cheers soon turned into a mixed reaction, surprisingly, mostly boos.

"_Damn, they really don't want Jack to retain his title. Hopefully the crowd gets under his skin!" _He thought.

"_And now ladies and gentlemen, presenting, the reigning, defending, undisputed dueling champion of the world… the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas!"_

After a few minutes of Jack's promo the spotlight shifted to the other end of the stadium, where Jack Atlas was present. Most of the crowd relentlessly booed in response to the appearance of the champion. It was clear who the crowd favorites in this duel.

Jack Atlas soon after quickly sped through his pathway towards the track in front of the fans, most of them who seemed to have quickly turned on him.

"Who's the one Master of Faster? Who rules the duels? That's right, it's ME! Jack Atlas!" He yelled out. The fans responded with mostly boos with little amounts of cheers mixed in. Jaxon could barely contain himself witnessing the heel turn of the fans. He let out a slight laugh as Jack parked his duel runner alongside Jaxon.

"What's so funny about all this?" Jack asks Jaxon. "Are you trying to laugh off the fact that you don't have a chance?"

"Nah dude, I'm laughing at the fact that you think these people think you're going to win!" Jaxon responded.

Both duelists were slightly caught off guard by the sudden resurgence of cheers from the crowd after Jaxon's statement. It was then they realized that their dueling microphones connected to their helmets were still on.

"_Welp, I guess the crowd picked up on that somehow" _Jaxon thought as he looked around the stadium in response to the abrupt cheers. Knowing that his mics are still connected to the stadium soundboards, Jaxon took one more opportunity to win over as many fans as he could.

"Did you hear that huge roar Jack? I believe they know who they are rooting for in this duel, and they're certainly not rooting for you!" Jaxon said as his mic picked up his words.

"A duelist like YOU has fans? That's impressive." Jack said back. "I never knew an American could have such a fanbase at this stage, because they never make it to the big time!"

"Well Jack, you have an American right beside you that's going to take your crown after I'm finished with you!" Jaxon yelled out as the fans happily cheered on.

"Oh really? We'll see about that!" Jack responded as he smiled and laughed.

"Indeed you will see." Jaxon answered back quickly as he also smiled at Jack, confident that he will become the new king of dueling in no time. Jaxon then quickly sat back into his duel runner as he saw the MC take the stage.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally here! We have seen unbelievable duels throughout the entire day today, and this last upcoming duel seems it's going to be the icing on the cake!" _The MC announced. _"I say this… because this is the main event of the evening!"_

"_This is the moment dueling fans here and watching around the world have been waiting for, live from New Domino City, Japan! It's time, a duel for the undisputed dueling championship of the world!"_

"_Introducing first, dueling on the right lane, this young man is an undefeated duelist holding a perfect professional record of two wins and zero losses. Residing from New Domino City, Japan, out of Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the former GX duel academy world champion, and the number one ranked contender in the world, the challenger, Jaxon "Vagabond" Meyer!"_

As soon as the MC announced his name, he stood up within his duel runner and extended his arms and pointed his index fingers in the air outward at around a sixty or seventy degree angle, doing his signature pose to the fans. He then raised his fist in the air towards his cheering fans before lowering himself to his duel runner seat.

"_And now, introducing the champion, dueling on the left lane, this duelist is also undefeated, his unbeaten streak remains the longest in history. Residing from New Domino City, ladies and gentlemen, presenting… the reigning, defending, undisputed dueling champion of the world, The Master of Faster, Jack Atlas!"_

Jack didn't seem too phased by the amount of boos raining down upon his name being called by the MC. In fact, he chuckled at them. He believed that if he had fans or no fans, he would remain at the top and he would be there as long as he liked.

"See what I mean Jackie?" Jaxon said as Jack lowered himself to his seat.

"Meh, they'll be cheering my name soon enough once I'm done with you!" Jack smirked. Jaxon shook his head and smiled after hearing his words.

Thirty seconds until the green light flashes, and both duelists revved up their engines to prepare their duel runners for the 1 lap race around the track to see who gets the first move of the duel. Jaxon and Jack both looked ahead in their sights, thinking about what moves they could make if either of them went first or second.

Both of the track regulators then stationed between the runners to make sure everything was at the optimal levels before the duelists fired the engines. After the checking of the runners, they both ran as fast as they could off the track.

"_Duel mode engaged, manual mode activated, Ready, Set, Duel!"_

It would only take half a second for both Jack and Jaxon to zoom ahead from the starting line. Side by side, both duelists battle for the first move in the duel. The fans quickly engaged at the videoboard as Jaxon and Jack ever so slightly switched positions beside one another.

It would continue to be a complete drag race until the last turn, where Jack somehow managed to pull ahead of Jaxon, but it wasn't because he was faster, rather Jaxon decided to let up on purpose.

Jack didn't know what to think. While he managed to cross the line first and earn the first move, he immediately thought that Jaxon allowed him to win the race for 1st just so that he could have the advantage in the duel. But why?

Jaxon wanted to have Jack go first. He knew that Jack had a huge advantage going first in his duels, so he decided to let him have the opening move in order to prove himself that he can win if he is already at a disadvantage.

"Congrats Jack, you earned the first move of the duel!" Jaxon said.

"You let me have the first move? I never knew you were so kind!" Jack responded. "I guess you have already decided to accept your loss."

"Far from it Jack." Jaxon said back. "You have won one hundred percent of your duels when you make the first move; and I'm going to be the first person to break your streak!"

"How foolish!" Jack yelled as he looked back. "You will pay dearly for that mistake!"

Among the crowd in the distance, Misty stood at the VIP balcony looking out the window. She gripped both of her hands together, praying that Jaxon would overcome Jack as the victor.

"_You got this Jaxon, everyone's pulling for you. Do this for your mother and father!"_ She processed.

"Prepare yourself Jaxon, because this duel can be dangerous for newcomers!" Jack yelled out.

"Bring it on Jack! I'm no newcomer!" Jaxon yelled out as they both drew their opening hands. The duel has finally begun.

" **LET'S DUEL!"**

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 0/ Jack LP: 4000 SPC: 0**_

"Watch and learn, I draw!" Jack yelled out as he drew. "I'll begin this duel by discarding 'King of the Swamp!' By discarding this card to the graveyard, I get to add one 'Polymerization' card from my deck to my hand! Next, I summon Flare Resonator (LV: 3/ Fire/ Tuner/ Fiend/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 1200) in defense mode! I then end my turn with a face down!"

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 4000 SPC: 1**_

"It's my move! I draw!" Jaxon yells while drawing. "If you have been watching my last two duels, this is a move you should be familiar with. I summon 'Disciple of Nephthys' (LVL: 2/ Spellcaster/ Effect/ ATK: 0/ DEF: 2000) in defense mode! Next, I use Disciple's effect! By destroying 1 card in my hand, I get to add 1 Nephthys monster from my deck to my hand! I think I'll destroy my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys and I'll add Cerulean to my hand and end my turn with a face down!"

_**Jaxon LP:4000 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 4000 SPC 2**_

"Let's not be boring shall we? I draw!" Jack yells out. " I'm about to kick this duel into overdrive! I summon 'Mad Archfiend' (LVL: 4/ Fiend/ Effect/ ATK: 1600/ DEF: 1400) in attack mode!"

"Even with those monsters out on your field, they are still not enough to penetrate my Disciple!" Jaxon yelled out after Jack summoned his second monster.

"True, but I'm not done yet. It's time to display to you how a REAL duelist shows skill! I tune my level 4 'Mad Archfiend' with my level 3 Flare Resonator to Synchro Summon the level 7 Synchro monster, 'Chaos King Archfiend' (LVL: 7/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK: 2600/ DEF: 2600)!" Jack yells. Chaos King Archfiend then quickly appears from the ring of dark fire on the right side of Jack shortly after. "And that's just only the beginning, since I used 'Flare Resonator as Synchro material, my 'Chaos King Archfiend' gains an additional 300 ATK points! Bringing the total up to 3000 ATK points!"

"Chaos King Archfiend, attack and destroy Jaxon's Disciple of Nephthys!" Jack yells out as the archfiend sweeps and cuts down Jaxon's monster, leaving him open to an attack.

"At least my life points are still safe!" Jaxon said to Jack, who smiled at him.

"That's true, but I'm still not done yet!" Jack yelled back. "Remember my Polymerization card that I added with 'King of the Swamp's effect?"

Jaxon then widened his eyes as the possibility of a big fusion summon increased as seconds went by.

"I will now activate 'Polymerization, to fuse my King of the Swamp, with my Big Piece Golem in my hand! Fusion summon, 'Multiple Piece Golem' (LVL: 7/ Rock/ Fusion/ Effect/ ATK: 2600/ DEF: 1300)! And I'll leave it at that!" Jack smirked out.

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 4000 SPC:2**_

"I can see why people call you the king… It's a shame you won't hold that title for long! I draw!" Jaxon yelled as he drew.

"Remember my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (LVL 8: Fire/ Winged-Beast/ Effect/ ATK: 2400/ DEF: 1600) that I destroyed thanks to my Disciple's effect on my last turn?" Jaxon asked Jack.

"Of course I did. It's not like I forgot!" Jack yelled back.

"Well, since it was destroyed by a card effect on my previous turn, it special summons itself back to the field during my Standby phase!" Jaxon claimed as Jack witnessed his large phoenix rise from the ground and float beside Jaxon's runner. "Welcome to the battle, comrade."

"That phoenix is nothing compared to my two monsters!" Jack said to Jaxon.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Jack. You see, when 'Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' is special summoned this way, it destroys all spell and trap cards on the field!" Jaxon yelled as his phoenix rose to the air and lashed out a ball of fire towards their face down cards.

"Grrr! I'm not letting you do such a thing! I activate my trap card, 'Red Carpet'!" Jack responds.

"Red Carpet?" Jaxon curiously asked. "What kind of trap card is that?"

"It's a trap card that allows me to target up to 2 "Resonator" monsters in my graveyard and I get to special summon them!" Jack answers back. "Since there is only 1 Resonator monster, I'll special summon 'Flare Resonator' from the graveyard!"

"Hmm, lucky you." Jaxon murmured. "Luckily for me, my turn's not even close to being finished!"

"Of course you're not finished! A duelist at such a level like yours would try their best to execute a perfect turn!" Jack said as he looked back at Jaxon who was trailing right behind him.

"Well, let's see how you'll view me as a duelist after this turn!" Jaxon said while smiling at the card he drew.

"_Nice! This is a good card to save for later. Right now I gotta find a way to get past his two powerful monsters." _He processed in his head.

"I summon 'Fire King Avatar Nephthys' (LVL: 1/ Fire/ Winged-Beast/ Effect/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 200) in attack mode!" Jaxon yells as he watches the little chick spring from the ground out of an orange-like ring to his right.

"What kind of monster is that?! Have you lost your mind already?!" Jack yelled out as he laughed. "That little chicken is no match for my 'Chaos King Archfiend' and my 'Multiple Piece Golem'!"

"Of course that's true. It's not like I'm a dumb first grader that couldn't read cards properly." Jaxon jokingly responded back. "Let's see how my battle phase pans out!"

"Yes, I would love to see how your battle phase ends up!" Jack said as he laughed even more.

"You'll find out soon enough! 'Fire King Avatar Nephthys', attack Jack directly!" Jaxon commanded to his monster.

"What are you doing? You do realize that you can't attack directly because I have two monsters on my field, right?" Jack asked.

"That's true, I wouldn't have attacked in the first place if it wasn't for my Avatar Nephthys's effect!" Jaxon answered. "'Fire King Avatar Nephthys's' effect allows me to attack you directly, regardless if you have any monsters or not!"

"Hmm?!" Jack growled as he saw the chicken-like monster he described earlier, torpedo towards him as he embraced for the incoming attack. "Heh, didn't feel anything at all!"

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 3700 SPC: 2**_

"I activate 'Fire King Avatar Nephthys's' special ability!" Jaxon suddenly yells out, surprising Jack.

"Special ability?!" Jack exclaimed.

"That's right Jack! After my Avatar Nephthys inflicts damage to you, I can tribute this card and excavate cards from my deck until I either excavate a "Nephthys" or a "Fire King" monster!" Jaxon said while picking at his deck. It would only take three cards for him to find the card appropriate for the situation he found himself in.

"I'll special summon 'Matriarch of Nephthys' (LVL: 2/ Wind/ Winged-Beast/ Effect/ ATK: 600/ DEF: 600) in defense mode, and send my 'Paleozoic Canadia' trap card to my graveyard!" He yelled. "Next, I activate Matriarch's special ability! I target my 'Disciple of Nephthys' in my graveyard and destroy my 'Yubel' in my hand to special summon 'Disciple of Nephthys' from the graveyard! Luckily the effects are negated once the monster is summoned!"

"Are you done?" Jack asked.

"Not yet, fellow opponent!" Jaxon said back. "Before my Disciple is summoned, I chain Yubel's effect! Once my Yubel is destroyed, it's effect allows me to special summon 'Yubel - Terror Incarnate' (LVL: 11/ Fiend/ Effect/ ATK: 0/ DEF: 0) from my hand, deck, or graveyard!

"Wait, what?!" Jack said surprisingly.

"That's right Jackie! I special summon Terror Incarnate from my deck and also special summon Matriarch due to Avatar Nephthys's effect!" Jaxon exclaimed. "Now, I have four monsters on my field!"

"Hahaha! You may have four monsters on your side, but they are still no match for my two monsters who are more powerful than yours!" Jack blunts out at Jaxon.

"You never learn to shut up at certain situations don't you?" Jaxon yells at Jack, surprising him. "I activate the speed spell, 'Speed Overload'!"

"Speed overload? What's speed overload?" Jack asked. It seemed he didn't hear about this card throughout his career.

"It's a speed spell, I'm pretty sure you heard of these before!" Jaxon answered. "Speed Overload allows me to roll a dice twice, and I gain speed counters equal to the results of the two rolls."

"Go ahead and roll them! It's not like you're going to get huge numbers anyways!" Jack blunts out. Jaxon then grabs the dice that suddenly popped out of thin air and rolls the die.

"I've rolled a 3 and 2, which totals up to 5, and those 5 will be added to my 2 counters I currently have! Bringing up my total of speed counters to 7 counters!"

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 7/ Jack LP: 3700 SPC: 2**_

"I think it is finally time to use some of these counters don't you think? I activate another speed spell, 'Rebirth of Nephthys'!" He then yelled, while watching his counters go down to 5.

"Rebirth of Nephthys?" Jack asked. "What is that?"

"It's a speed spell that came in handy during my last duel! By paying 200 life points and 2 speed counters, I get to Ritual summon a monster with this card!" Jaxon said.

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/ Jack LP: 3700 SPC: 2**_

"A Ritual summon?!" Jack yelled out. "It's been a long time since someone in this division has performed a Ritual summon in a turbo duel against me!"

"Well Jack, you're about to relive that experience!" Jaxon responded back. "Because I tribute my Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys to Ritual summon the monster that has been with me as long as I have lived!"

"_A phoenix dies in order to be reborn and resurrect stronger and wiser than ever before. Great phoenix, rise from the ashes of your failures, and be reborn to conquer the world! Here comes your end of time, as I ritual summon my great beast! Come forth, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys! _(LV: 8/ ATK: 3000/ DEF: 1000/ Winged Beast/ Ritual/ Effect)_" _He chanted.

Even before the crowd could react, a blue hole formed among the skies, with a phoenix dawning and storming down at the track. The blue flames resonating from the phoenix nearly brightened so much that it nearly temporarily blinded the fans; it was that luminous. Even Jack couldn't resist marveling at the appearance of Cerulean. It looked like he was impressed by his skills, he was in fact a top notch duelist like Jack thought about earlier before they dueled.

"_Very impressive young fellow, but not impressive enough! I still have yet to summon my 'Red Dragon Archfiend' in this duel. Soon, you will bow before the champion of turbo dueling!" _Jack processed as he looked upon Cerulean's appearance.

"Next, I use Cerulean's special ability! By destroying 'Nephthys' cards either in my and/or face up on my field! I get to destroy the equal amount of monsters that you control!" Jaxon said.

"What now?!" Jack yelled.

"Cerulean, sacrifice 'Matriarch of Nephthys' to destroy Jack's 'Chaos King Archfiend'!" Jaxon commanded Cerulean. He then witnesses the destruction of Jack's monster with a small smile on his face.

"Now Cerulean, attack and destroy Jack's 'Multiple Piece Golem'!" Jaxon commanded Cerulean once again. The poor Golem couldn't defend himself no more as he was soon vaporized by the steaming flames of the blue phoenix.

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 2**_

"I'll then set a card face down and finally enter my end phase." Jaxon calmly tells Jack. "During my end phase, 'Yubel - Terror Incarnate's' effect activates, destroying all of your monsters! However, luckily for you, you don't have any monsters on your field. So the effect subsides and affects nothing. It's your turn now."

Jack had never seen someone complete a turn like Jaxon just did. The ability to go from having little to no monsters, to filling up his side of the field without using normal spells in a quick pace surprised him!

"I have to say, that was a very impressive turn Jaxon." Jack said as he now trailed behind the young American. "But if you think that turn alone is going to help you win this duel, you have to be joking! I'm the king for a reason, and I'm going to prove it right now! I draw!"

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 3**_

"Just like I said to Yusei, bring everything you got Jack! I'm ready for it!" Jaxon yelled at Jack.

"With pleasure, Jaxon." A calm toned Jack responded. "Remember the 'Speed Overload' speed spell you played earlier?"

"Umm, yes?" Jaxon curiously responded. "Why ask?!"

"Well, I happen to have a copy of the card myself! And I won't waste time activating it!" Jack says as he plays the speed spell. He then rolls the same die that Jaxon once rolled.

"I have rolled a 2 and a 5! That brings my counter total up to 7 plus the 3 I have, bringing it up to 10 counters!" Jack happily says.

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 10**_

"10 counters?!" Jaxon said shockingly.

"That's right. Now I'll show you how a champion executes a turn!" He told him as he executed his next move.

"First, I activate the speed spell, 'Resonator Greed'! This speed spell allows me to give up 4 speed counters to draw 2 cards from my deck!" He claims out while drawing.

_**Jaxon LP: 4000 SPC: 5/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 6**_

"Next, I special summon to the field, 'Vice Dragon' (LVL: 5/ Dark/ Dragon/ Effect/ ATK:2000/ DEF: 2400)!" Jack exclaims out as his dragon summons onto the field. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon 'Vice Dragon' to the field, as long as I cut the attack and defense points in half!"

"Next, I summon 'Red Resonator' ( LVL: 2/ Fire/ Fiend/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK: 600/ DEF: 200) in attack mode!" Jack said as he pointed at his two monsters, making his next move. "Now, I tune my level 2 'Red Resonator' with my level 5 'Vice Dragon' to synchro summon the level 6 synchro monster, 'Red Rising Dragon' ( LVL: 6/ Fire/ Dragon/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK: 2100/ DEF: 1600)!"

"So is this your ace monster? I can't say I'm too thrilled to see this fiery dragon!" Jaxon said out to Jack after he summoned the dragon.

"I never said I was done with my turn, did I?" He asked Jaxon, who grunted at him. "I activate 'Red Rising Dragon's' special ability! When this monster is synchro summoned, I can target one "Resonator" monster in my graveyard and special summon it! I'll special summon the 'Red Resonator' back to the field from my graveyard!

"Wait, you're planning another synchro summon aren't you?" Jaxon asked in a loud tone. Realizing that bringing out a tuner after a synchro summon most likely results in another synchro summon.

"You're damn right I am. It's about time your Cerulean meets its doom!" Jack exclaims at the top of his lungs. "I now tune my level 2 'Red Resonator' with my level 6 'Red Rising Dragon!"

Before Jack started to say the quote that he usually says before he summons his ace monster, the sky above the stadium turned from a twilight blue into more of a dark reddish color, signaling the grand appearance of Jack's powerful beast.

"_The ruler's heartbeat will now file through here. Take witness to its creation-shaking power! I synchro summon, my soul! 'Red Dragon Archfiend' _(LVL: 8/ Dark/ Dragon/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK: 3000/ DEF: 2500)_!"_

Red Dragon Archfiend very shortly after the chant, appears in the skies above New Domino City. It sweeps around the stadium nearly following its master in the process. The two dragons that everyone wanted to see battle, were right in front of their eyes. The crowd could not contain their excitement anymore!

Both Jaxon and Jack looked at the reaction of the fans while speeding along the track at record pace, they were so distracted that it took a good 30 seconds for the two duelists to finally come back down to Earth.

"The crowd is pretty hyped isn't it?" Jaxon asked Jack.

"Heh, it sure is. I guarantee it was for MY dragon though, just look at it's features! It's a dragon no one can turn down!" Jack bragged.

"Well how bout we hype the crowd even more by dueling rather than complimenting the looks of one's dragon?!" Jaxon asked loudly over the loud reaction of the fans.

"If you insist, my fellow opponent. Red Dragon Archfiend, go on an atta-" Jack's mouth came to a sudden, abrupt halt. The sharp growing pain of the two marks were felt by the duelists as their marks suddenly started to glow immensely.

The fans caught attention of this and nearly gasped in unison in response to their glowing marks.

"Hey Jack!" Jaxon yelled. "Why are our marks glowing? And why does it hurt so bad?!"

"Grrr, I don't know! I don't know how this is happening!" Jack answered.

Before Jaxon could have a chance to respond to his answer, both Jaxon and Jack felt the ground start to violently shake beneath them. The crowd then shifted from a ruckus nostalgic feeling to a horrified and fearful feeling as the Earthquake worsened as seconds went by.

A bright flash of white-yellow light then beamed upon the middle of the stadium, blurring the vision ahead for a few seconds, only to reveal a huge red dragon-like body twice the size of the two dragons floating around the inner edges of the stadium.

It was here. The great dragon that Misty had explained to Jaxon before, the Crimson Dragon had arrived. Both Jaxon and Jack didn't say a word as they continued to look in a state of shock at the deity-like beast. The dragon then let out a huge roar that nearly shattered the nearby windows close to the dragon itself.

No one knew what was going to happen next. While the dragon continued to sweep across the stadium, there was still a duel that had to be finished.

Everyone at this point didn't care who would win this last duel, the only thing they cared about was hoping that they would finish the duel as quickly as possible. Jaxon and Jack knew that if they didn't pick up the pace, catastrophe was likely going to result.

"_Oh no, the Crimson Dragon is growing in power! I must stop and win this duel sooner than later, or all of us are going to pay the price!"_

_**To be continued...**_


	10. Chapter 9: Fortune Cup Finale - Part 2

**Chapter 9: Fortune Cup Finale - Part 2**

The duel looks like it has reached its peak. It seemed that the presence of both Cerulean and Red Dragon Archfiend were powerful enough to call forth the Crimson Dragon to the field.

The reactions of those in attendance were no different from anyone else; pure shock and terror.

"Jack, we've got to stop this duel quickly! We can't afford to have these people get hurt by this beast!" Jaxon yelled at Jack, who barely heard him due to the loud roar of the dragon sweeping around the top of the stadium.

Before Jack could respond to Jaxon, the roar of the Crimson Dragon once again veered across the stadium. Its speed increased as it continued to grow in power, both duelists accelerated as hard as they could as the dragon trailed right behind. The Crimson Dragon had it's eyes locked on both Jaxon and Jack as they desperately pressed their runners to the maximum.

Looking from above, Misty didn't look as worried as the rest of those in attendance. She looked at the dragon; almost as if she expected the Crimson Dragon to appear. Holding and taking a sip of her tea, she then looked at Jaxon, who at this point was only trying to speed up his duel runner to get away from the dragon.

"_Jaxon, you can't escape the fate that destiny has in store for you. The Crimson Dragon shall reveal who is the true enemy of the signers. The dragon shall also reveal visions of your very near future." _She thought as she continued to witness Jack and Jaxon race around the stadium ahead of the trailing dragon.

In the tower, Rex Godwin was thinking the same thing. He wanted the dragon to show both duelists the adventure ahead.

"_Do not be afraid of the Crimson Dragon my fellow duelists. The dragon is only here to show to the signers that this tournament is only the beginning of the true adventure that lies ahead of all of you." _Rex thought.

The dragon then soon was right on the bumpers of both duel runners. Even speed and power couldn't help Jaxon and Jack escape the clutches of the fiery dragon. The Crimson Dragon soon opened its mouth as it lunged towards both duelists.

"Jaxon! Hang on!" Jack yelled behind him as he was soon consumed by the fire coming from the dragon's mouth.

"Jack!" Jaxon yelled as he watched his opponent disappear into the fiery abyss of the Crimson Dragon. The dragon then had its sights on the young duelist, who desperately tried his best to get away. However, it was all for nothing.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Jaxon screamed as the Crimson Dragon blinded his view, leaving only a sight of pure white ahead. He tensed up, bracing for what was next to come ahead. Both him and Jack didn't know where they were, nor knew what was going to happen.

Suddenly, the brightness faded, revealing a long yellow glowing path ahead. Both him and Jack soon realised that they were driving on the very path that was revealed in front of their eyes.

"Jack, what the heck is going on?!" Jaxon asked as both duelists continued to speed along the sparkling path. It almost looked as if Rainbow Road was reborn.

"I don't know, beats me!" Jack responded. As they continue to proceed, Jaxon sees a pyramid-like figure in the distance. Before he could make out the details of the figure, multiple bright flashes of light beamed behind Jaxon and Jack. Both duelists quickly looked back to see what the flashes were, it turned out to be bubbles carrying the duelists who had signer marks. They were Yusei, Luna, and Akiza.

"Huh? What's going on?" Luna asked the other signers. "Where are we?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure." Akiza responded. She then looked towards the path, where Jaxon and Jack were traveling upon. "Jack, Jaxon!"

"Can someone tell us where the heck we are?!" Jaxon asked loudly over the loud engine of his runner.

"I think we're inside the Crimson Dragon! Our marks suddenly appeared after Cerulean and Red Dragon Archfiend faced off. Before we knew it, I went from resting in the care center to being trapped in a bubble traveling with you all!" Yusei answered as rest continued to travel along with Jaxon and Jack.

It would take a few more seconds for Jaxon to point out what the pyramid-like figure was. He then recognized it looked like an ancient temple that either the Aztecs or Inca would use to worship their deities.

"Look up ahead! It's an ancient pyramid!" Jaxon yelled as they ascended up the path along the pyramid, revealing faceless-hooded figures standing along the edges with their hands in the air; almost as if they were in the middle of a prayer to the gods above.

"Wait, look at their arms!" Yusei suddenly said as he pointed to the arms of the figures. The rest of the group caught attention seconds later and were shocked to see glowing marks similar to the rest of the signers. "They're signers just like us!"

Jaxon then looked at the marks closely as they drove upward along the path stuck to the pyramid. He was close enough to point out what kind of marks they had along their arms. After inspecting, he then realized that one mark was missing.

"Uh, guys? How come I didn't see my mark?" Jaxon asked the signers.

"I don't know. That's weird." Yusei tells Jaxon. After the group passed the pyramid, Jaxon suddenly felt something in his chest. He didn't know what it was but he didn't care as he continued to focus on the path ahead. Almost immediately, he hears a feminine voice from afar.

"_Your destiny is set in stone my dear. You shall become more powerful than you could ever possibly imagine, and it won't be with those 'signers', but with guidance from someone very familiar…" _It projected. After hearing those words, Jaxon's eyes widened. He knew the sound of the voice was familiar, he was shocked to find out who somehow managed to speak through him mentally.

"Misty?!" Jaxon yelled. He couldn't believe that Misty somehow had the mind power to communicate with him, especially when he's inside the Crimson Dragon.

All of a sudden, Jaxon's vision goes white and bright, eventually fading into a vision. A vision that the Crimson Dragon would reveal to him. Jaxon then for a few seconds saw a dark figure in a black robe falling in front of him. The vision then fades away, leaving Jaxon thinking about what he just saw.

Before he could even think, another vision happened. This time, he would see a group of figures with similar black clothing looking down on the signers. Jaxon didn't know what was going on at this point.

The final vision that Jaxon saw, was him and a woman, standing side by side, looking from afar, the destruction of the signer dragons, along with the Crimson Dragon. Jaxon felt as if he started to sweat uncontrollably after reacting to what he just saw.

"Everyone! Look up there!" Luna abruptly yells out to the group. Everyone then turns their attention to the sky, in which a purple figure started to form above them. It took a minute, but it soon revealed what the object was in the sky. It nearly resembled Jaxon's ace monster, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys.

"What is that up there?" Akiza asked as they continued to look up at the developing symbol across the sky.

"It- it looks like Cerulean…" Jaxon said as he noticed the symbol started to immensely glow brightly. "But, why is it in a purple color?"

Jaxon then shook his head violently, trying to shake off what he just saw. After all, he had a duel to finish.

"Jack! We've got to stop this duel quick!" Jaxon yelled at Jack, who caught up to him.

"We can't just stop this duel Jaxon. The Crimson Dragon won't let us go home until one of us wins!" Jack answered back. "The Crimson Dragon wants us to battle it out to see which one of us is worthy of saving the entire world!"

"Saving the world?" Jaxon asked. "Why save the world?"

"I guess you need a small history lesson." Jack replied. "You're wondering why this Crimson Dragon has brought all of the signers together and is showing us these figures in front of us, right?"

"Duh! I knew this tournament brought the signers together! I'm just wondering why?" Jaxon asked.

"Well, it's simple! Director Goodwin organized this very tournament not only to bring us together, but to reveal the adventure ahead of us." Jack answered. "I'm not sure how our marks got on our arms, but I do know that there is a group opposite to us, and that group is wanting to reign the world under the shadows!"

"Who is this 'group'?!" Jaxon asked back as they continued to speed along the glowing path.

"I don't know, Goodwin didn't say." Jack responded. "There's a lot more I can tell you, but maybe we should focus more on the duel that's taking place right now!"

"No Jack, it's too dangerous! There has to be a way to get back home and out of this dragon!" Jaxon yelled.

"That's not going to happen. Like I told you, one of us has to win first." Jack calmly responded to Jaxon. "And I'm going to make sure that the victor in this duel is me! I'll set a monster facedown and set two more facedowns and end my turn!"

_**Jaxon LP: 3800 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 6**_

"It's my move! I draw!" Jaxon yells out. He then puts the card in his hand and signals to go straight into the battle phase. However, knowing that he has two facedowns, who most likely would prevent Jack's dragon from being destroyed, he then decides to skip to the end phase in an attempt to work around the facedowns.

"I'll skip my battle phase, set another facedown, and go straight to my end phase!" Jaxon yells, almost catching Jack off guard. "During my end phase, 'Terror - Incarnate's' effect activates, destroying all of your monsters!"

"Ha! I knew you were going to do that!" Jack yelled, shocking Jaxon. "I activate my counter trap, Divine Wraith!"

"What?!" Jaxon yelled as he was surprised by the trap card being revealed.

"This counter trap negates the effect of your Terror - Incarnate and automatically destroys it!" Jack states as Jaxon's monster is destroyed in front of his eyes.

"I guess I'll end my turn." Jaxon says as he hands the turn over to Jack.

_**Jaxon LP: 3800 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 7**_

"I thought so. Now it's my turn!" Yelled out Jack. "I draw! First, I activate the speed spell, Resonator Call! This speed spell will cost me 5 speed spells, but it allows me to add 1 "Resonator" monster from my deck to my hand! I think I'll add "Red Resonator" to my hand!"

_**Jaxon LP: 3800 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 2**_

"_Great, looks like he's going for another synchro summon…" _Jaxon thought as he watched Jack make his next move.

"I won't waste time adding the card to my hand, cause I summon Red Resonator ( LVL: 2/ Fire/Tuner/Effect/ ATK: 600/ DEF: 200) to the field!" Jack yells as he smiles. "Jaxon, it's time I show you how a champion finishes a duel! I tune my level 2 "Red Resonator" with my level 4 "Wandering King Whirlwind" to synchro summon another "Red Rising Dragon"!"

"You have another "Red Rising Dragon"?!" Screamed out did Jaxon.

"Indeed I did. Now watch as I use my dragons ability to special summon "Red Resonator" back to the field!" Jack blunts out in confidence. "When "Red Resonator" is special summoned, I can target 1 monster on the field and gain life points equal to that monster's attack! I target my "Red Dragon Archfiend" to gain 3000 life points!"

_**Jaxon LP: 3800 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"6300 lifepoints?!" said Jaxon as his eyes widened at the sight of the increasing number. "Are you kidding me?!

"Next, I tune my level 2 "Red Resonator" with my level 6 "Red Rising Dragon"! I synchro summon the level 8 synchro monster, "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend ( LVL: 8/ DARK/ Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ ATK: 3000/ DEF: 2500)!"

"Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend?!" Jaxon said. It was clear that he had not seen this monster before, until now.

"Yes indeed!" Said Jack as his monster quickly summons to the field. "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend is a level 8 Synchro Monster that has the same attack and defense points as my "Red Dragon Archfiend." It also becomes "Red Dragon Archfiend" when it's on the field or in the graveyard, and it also has a special ability!"

"Special ability?" Jaxon asked.

"Yes, and I will use it's ability right now! Once per turn, I can destroy as many other special summoned monsters that either have less or equal to my "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend", and you take 500 points of damage for each monster destroyed!"

"I'll use my "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend's" special ability to destroy your "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" and inflict 500 points of damage!" Jack commanded.

"Cerulean!" Jaxon shouted as he witnessed his dragon fall to his opponent.

_**Jaxon LP: 3300 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"Now, Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Jaxon directly!" Jack shouted as his Scarlight flew quickly towards Jaxon and showered him with red flames. Bringing his lifepoint total closer to zero. Jaxon never felt an attack like that until now. He started to pant as the adrenaline from the attack nearly made him lose his concentration and spin out of control.

_**Jaxon LP: 300 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"_Crap, I'm down to just 300 life points, and if Jack gets his next attack through, I'm done for!"_ He processed in his mind as he braced for the next upcoming direct attack.

"Jaxon, you impressed me. More than I expected, but it's time for my victory lap and to put your name upon the list of my very opponents who failed to defeat me and take my crown! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Jaxon directly and end this duel. Absolute Power Force" Jack commanded his dragon as at the same time, Jack's dragon leaped into the air, ready to go for the kill.

"This… duel… is… not… over…" Jaxon said in an angry tone. Knowing that he took the biggest attack of his pro career, he wanted to take all of his anger towards the champion in retaliation.

"You liar!" Jack yelled back.

"Let's see if this facedown proves that I'm not lying then!" Jaxon yells out in anger once again. "I activate my trap card, Nutrient Z! This trap card allows me to gain 4000 life points before taking more than 2000 life points of damage!"

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 6/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"Grrr! You're only delaying your inevitable defeat! Face facts, you're not going to win this duel! IT'S OVER! Forget the promise that your dead parents said to you. They are gone! They don't matter anymore! Look forward into the future as a forever runner-up!" Jack furiously says to Jaxon, who's eyes suddenly started to change color so slightly.

"Jack! That's enough!" Akiza suddenly shouts out. "Don't talk down to Jaxon about his late parents! You're only making him angry!"

"Getting him angry? That's exactly what I'm trying to do!" Jack responds. "Besides, that non-normal brain of his is his biggest flaw! He can't compete with the big boys, especially me! I could care less about him. The only person I care about right now is me! And me only!"

Jaxon, looking down at his runner, prepared to make his next move after Jack ends his turn. He then started to feel a rush of sudden energy beaming through his body, resulting in his mark glowing so brightly that it out-shined Jack's mark. The other signers started to take notice of the brightly glowing mark.

"Jaxon! Are you alright?!" Yusei yelled out. "What's going on down there?!"

"Yusei, I'm sorry for what I'm going to do…" Jaxon growled in response, immediately concerning the rest of the group, including Jack who suddenly looked behind him. "Jack, you can mock my dead parents all you want; You can mock my developmental disorder all you want; You can mock the way I made it to the big leagues all you want, but that doesn't mean you will get away with this…"

Jaxon then looked up at Jack who was ahead of him; the pupils of his eyes glowed in a blue color; resembling the color of his ace monster. Jack's expression went from blunt confidence to a sudden state of worriness.

"And I'm going to make you pay by finishing you off once and for all!" Jaxon roared as his voice ringed throughout the area, shocking the rest of the signers. Everyone's eyes, including Jack widened after witnessing the true power of the young duelist.

"I set a card facedown and end my turn!" Jack suddenly says.

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 7/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"Good! It's about time you ended your turn, because I'm planning on giving you a hard time!" Jaxon said while smirking at the champion ahead of him. "I draw!"

"First, Cerulean's effect activates from the graveyard! Since it was destroyed by your Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend on your last turn, it automatically special summons itself back to the field in attack mode! Rise from the dead Cerulean!" Jaxon says as he resurrects his blue phoenix to the field. "Next, I activate the speed spell, "Nephthys Steele! By giving up the rest of my speed counters, I get to bring back 2 "Nephthys" monsters from my graveyard to my hand! I'll add back "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" and "Matriarch of Nephthys" from my graveyard!"

_**Jaxon LP: 300 SPC: 0/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"Big deal! Those cards will not help you!" Jack blunts out in frustration.

"Did you forget about my Cerulean's special ability? By destroying up to the number of "Nephthys" monsters on my field and/or in my hand, I get to destroy an equal amount of monsters that you control!

"NO! I forgot about that!" Jack yells out in fear. "You can't do that!"

"I can and I sure will do so!" Jaxon yells back in response. "I destroy my "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" and my "Matriarch of Nephthys" from my hand to destroy both of your monsters! Say goodbye to your two Red Dragon Archfiends!"

"No! My dragons… they're gone!" Jack shivers out of his mouth.

"Indeed! And they are gonna be gone for the rest of this duel!" Jaxon roared in anger as his eyes continued to glow bright blue. "Now, it is time for my Cerulean to deal a big amount of damage!"

"Not so fast Jaxon, I activate my trap card, Red Screen!" Jack suddenly says, revealing his trap card. "Due to this trap card, you can't attack with any of your monsters!"

"Hehehe…" Jaxon laughed in response, knowing he had Jack right where he wanted him. "I guess you panicked at the wrong time didn't you?"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"I ask because I caught you right where I needed you to be! I activate my speed spell, "Power of Recovery!"

"Power of Recovery?!" Jack shockingly yelled out.

"This speed spell can be activated as long as I don't have any speed counters, and allows me to banish two "Nephthys" monsters with the same attributes! In result, I get to gain 2000 life points in the end!

"I then banish "Disciple of Nephthys" and "Matriarch of Nephthys" from my graveyard to gain 2000 life points!" Jaxon shouted.

_**Jaxon LP: 2300 SPC: 0/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 2**_

"It's your move!" Jaxon yells out as he signals the end of his turn.

_**Jaxon LP: 2300 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 6300 SPC: 3**_

"You shall pay for destroying my dragons! I draw!" Jack says as he draws. "I activate the speed spell, "Archfiend Revival"! By giving up 3 speed counters and 1000 life points, I can special summon a "Red Dragon Archfiend" from my extra deck, or graveyard. I'll use my speed spell's ability to special summon back to the field, "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend"!"

_**Jaxon LP: 2300 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 5300 SPC: 0**_

"Next, I activate Scarlight's special ability! Scarlight allows me to destroy your Cerulean since it's a special summoned monster that equals the amount of attacks points to my "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend"! Now Scarlight, destroy his pathetic blue bird!"

"Heh, you never learn do you Jackie?" Jaxon tells him. "This trap card will make sure you won't make it out of here as the champion."

"Bluffer!" Jack nearly interrupts Jaxon.

"I activate my counter trap card, "Rebirth of Parshath !'' Jaxon shouts as he reveals the card to his right.

"NO! Not that card!" Jack yells in near despair.

"By giving up 1000 lifepoints and discarding a counter trap card, "Rebirth of Parshath" negates the effect of your "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend" and shuffles it back to the extra deck!"

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 5300 SPC: 0**_

Seconds later, "Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend" disappears from the field and returns to Jack's extra deck, Shocking the champion.

"Oh, and that's not all Jack…" Jaxon says sadistically. "Once your monster returns to your extra deck, I get to special summon one "Parshath" monster from my deck or extra deck."

"Deck OR extra deck!?" Yelled Jack as he soon started to realize the end of his reign may indeed be coming true.

"Yes sir! I special summon the level 8 synchro monster, "Avenging Knight Parshath" (LVL: 8/ Light /Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ ATK: 2600/ DEF: 2100)!"

"This can't be!" Jack said as he looked at the newly summoned monster that had appeared before him. "All these moves I made, all for nothing!"

"Don't worry Jack, this duel will be over before you know it!" Jaxon said as he smiled at Jack, knowing his chances of winning this duel skyrocketed.

"Now, I end my turn…" Jaxon said softly. "Make your move, if you can."

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 1/ Jack LP: 5300 SPC: 1**_

"I… Draw…" Jack said in a somber tone. "I set a monster face down and end my turn… it's your move."

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 5300 SPC: 1**_

"Very well then; my move then." Jaxon said. "I draw!"

"First, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's effect activates from the graveyard, special summoning it during my stand-by phase!" Jaxon shouts as he witnesses his phoenix rise from the dead and joins his brother Cerulean. "When this monster is special summoned, all spell and trap cards on the field are destroyed!"

All spells and traps on the field are soon decimated, leaving Jack open to an attack with just a facedown monster left to defend him. His last effort to win the duel has been officially extinguished…

"Now, it's time to crown a NEW champion! Avenging Knight Parshath, attack Jack's facedown monster!" Jaxon commands the knight as the knight slashes the monster in pieces. "When "Avenging Knight Parshath" destroys a defense position monster by battle, you take piercing damage equal to the difference of your monster's defense points and my monster's attack points. Since the monster that I destroyed was your "Bacon Saver", and since it only has 600 defense points, you lose 2000 life points!"

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 3300 SPC: 2**_

"Now, "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys", attack him directly!

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 900 SPC: 2**_

"Jack, you've had a lot of fun being the champion, but it's time for MY reign to begin! Cerulean, attack Jack directly and END THIS DUEL!" Jaxon roared at his phoenix, however Jack didn't seem to embrace the upcoming attack.

"If my reign is going down, I'm not going down without a fight! I activate "Bacon Saver" from my graveyard! By banishing it, I negate your Cerulean's attack!" Jack says as he releases his monster from his grave, protecting his life points.

"Good move, but not enough to save you next turn. I set a card and end my turn!" Jaxon says, signaling the move over to the wounded Jack.

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 900 SPC: 3**_

"My move!" Jack yells out, acting like this last card could be the final one. "I end my turn."

_**Jaxon LP: 1300 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 900 SPC: 3**_

"Well then, I guess it's time to put an end to this duel! I draw!" Jaxon yells out in a loud roar. "Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys", attack Jack directly and end this duel once for all!"

"This may be my last move!" Jack says to himself. "I special summon "Battle Fader" ( LVL: 1/ Dark/ Fiend/Effect/ ATK: 0/ DEF: 0) to the field! When you declare a direct attack, I can special summon this monster from my hand and end your battle phase!"

Jaxon looked down one last time, knowing the card he set in his last turn was the one to finally put an end to this duel.

"A nice move, but I have this trap that shall seal your fate as the new runner-up to the new champion! I activate my final trap card, "Solemn Judgement"!" Jaxon said as he revealed the trap card to Jack, who shivered as he looked on. "I pay half of my life points to negate the effect of your "Battle Fader"!"

Jack finally had ran out of moves. His time as king of dueling for right now was sure to be over. It would only take one more attack from one of Jaxon's monsters to seal the deal.

"Jaxon…" Jack told him as Jaxon looked at Jack, who looked somber, realizing that a new champion would be crowned. "I will be back, and when we duel next time, I guarantee I will get my crown back!"

"Well Jack, I look forward to our rematch, but right now, It's my time to shine, it's my time to become the champion that my late parents wanted me to become!" Jaxon says emotionally. "Cerulean, continue with your attack, end this duel with your Blue Flames of Destruction! Bring the crown to my possession!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAHHHH" Jack yelled out as the blue phoenix shoots out the lethal blow of blue flames at Jack, ending the duel, and ending Jack's reign as the champion.

_**Jaxon LP: 650 SPC: 2/ Jack LP: 0 SPC: 3**_

_**Duel Winner: Jaxon**_

The duel was finally over, and Jaxon had won. After the final blow was dealt, everything went bright as if the big bang reoccurred. Both duelists closed their eyes as tightly as possible so that they wouldn't go blind just in case.

Before they knew it, the sight of the track and stadium returned to their view. The fans that filled the stadium exploded after witnessing one of the most intense duels they have ever seen. They were even louder when they realized that Jaxon had one the duel, the decibel level almost increased by double after witnessing the young American prevail.

After they finally got back from the clutches of the dragon, Jaxon realized that Jack was spinning out of control behind him. After the runner comes to a stop, Jack emerges from the smoke and sits by his burned out runner to catch his breath.

Jaxon quickly turns his runner around and accelerates towards the defeated Jack Atlas. Even if Jack said some things that kind of made Jaxon angry, he was still kind enough to check on his opponent to make sure he wasn't too hurt.

"Jack! Are you ok?" Jaxon asked Jack, who was still panting as a result of the last attack from Jaxon's ace monster minutes ago.

"Ugh… I… I don't know how you did it, but… you're the champion now." Jack responds while grieving in some discomfort. "I guess I underestimated you tonight, didn't I?"

"Jack, you didn't underestimate me. I just outdueled you. That's all." Jaxon responded. "I could tell you gave it everything you had just to win this duel. It was just the fact that I played my cards at the right time!"

"But, how could you withstand the power of my deck? My deck should have blown you away within the first few turns!" Jack asked Jaxon, who had the answer to his question.

"That's the issue Jack, your deck is constantly about power and obliterating your opponent, but it has no balance. You remember that exact phrase you told Yusei didn't you?" Jaxon asked back. Jack, surprised at the statement, indeed knew about his last duel with Yusei. In fact, he said the exact thing that Jaxon said to Yusei after Jack beated him.

"Yes, yes I do remember!" Jack says as he flashes back to his first duel with Yusei before leaving the Satellite Sector.

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm here wondering why you didn't balance out your deck for this duel? You knew that this was the duel to defend your championship, right?" Jaxon asked Jack, who looked down in disgust.

"You're right, I should have balanced out my deck. Instead, I thought you couldn't handle my powerful monsters; turned out I was wrong in the end and ended up the loser tonight." Jack somberly said as he looked at his deck within his duel disk.

"That wasn't the only reason Jack." Jaxon states. "Arrogance is also your biggest weakness against big opponents. The way that you talked down to me during our duel only gave me the fire to finally put an end to your reign. That is something you should never do in the biggest duel in your career."

"You're right Jaxon." Jack said as he nodded his head at him. "I shouldn't have made fun of you about your late parents or your developmental disorder; Greiger was right, I should have respected you from the beginning."

"Well, the duel is over Jack, and I'm the champion." Jaxon told Jack. "But, I do look forward to a future rematch with you. Let's hope you won't be as arrogant next time!" Jaxon then put his hand forward, wanting a handshake from the former champion.

By the way, do you know what is to come after all of this Jack?" Jaxon curiously asked.

"I don't know Jaxon. But, I wouldn't worry about it for right now, I would just enjoy the moment right now man." Jack answered.

"You're right. I just won the crown from you. I think I definitely should enjoy the moment after beating you!" Jaxon joked as both duelists laughed with each other.

"You know what? I can't wait for the rematch as well!" Jack said as he cracked a smile while shaking Jaxon's hand. Both duelists then hear a surge of cheering from the crowd. Jack then grabs Jaxon's right arm and raises it. Jaxon at first felt uncomfortable, knowing that the person who was raising his arm was the person he just defeated. But a few seconds later, Jaxon smiled at the crowd, knowing that the crowd had faith in him to win the duel.

Misty, who looked from the windows in the upper VIP section was nearly shedding tears after watching the greatest duel she has ever seen in her young life. She then wipes her eyes with a nearby tissue and closes her eyes.

"_Well done my dear. I knew you could do it. You beat Akiza, you beat Yusei, and now you have beaten the champion Jack Atlas. Ever since I reconnected with you, I knew you were going to be a special person and a future champion. I'm so proud of you Jaxon. The crown couldn't have gone to a better person." _Misty processed as he continued to dry her eyes with a tissue.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, I do not believe it! We have a new champion in the building! The former champion Jack Atlas has fallen to the newcomer in the pro circuit! Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the brand new king of dueling, Jaxon "Vagabond" Meyer!" _MC announced over the loudspeakers. Once again, loud cheers filled the entire stadium for Jaxon.

Jaxon then returned to the start/finish line with his duel runner as the post duel analyst was there to interview Jaxon after his surprising win over Jack Atlas.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm here with your new champion!" The female analyst announced; the crowd then gave Jaxon one of the loudest cheers of the night just as Jaxon was about to speak with the reporter. "Jaxon, no one can debate this anymore. As of this moment, you are the number 1 duelist in the world. How does it feel to have the long wait off of your shoulders?"

"Well, it feels pretty damn amazing to beat the former champion! Jaxon said. "Jack Atlas is an amazing competitor and duelist. I'm pretty sure we'll have a rematch sometime in the future someday, but to answer your question, I'm glad this tournament is over, I can actually take a temporary break from dueling now!" The crowd then gave a laugh reacting to Jaxon's joke statement, although they knew it was true that he needed a little break before he could duel again.

"Before this tournament started, not a lot of people gave you the chance to go all the way. You had to get past Akiza Izinski, Yusei Fudo, and Jack Atlas to claim the crown. In fact, the people didn't seem to like you until you started dueling. What do you think was the cause of the change of scenery?"

"I really don't know honestly. I got on the crowd for booing Yusei Fudo just because he was from the satellite. I just wanted everyone to be treated fairly and have respect for a person regardless of their status. Next thing I knew, the crowd started to get behind me! I guess I earned my redemption tonight!" Jaxon stated as the crowd cheered in approval after hearing what he had to say about the crowd.

"One more question before Rex arrives; you have been through alot in your young life. You battled through death in the family, you had to adapt to a different lifestyle due to your developmental disorder, and you admitted publicly that you battled anxiety. How does it feel, not only as a duelist, but as a person to finally have the hard work pay off despite the obstacles?"

Jaxon then started to choke up after hearing what the reporter had to ask. He could feel that tears were coming down his face. He tried his best to hold back, but decided to let it out. After all, he won the title and fulfilled his late parents promise of becoming champion one day.

"You know, I- I went through so much… my parents suddenly left this planet and went to heaven without warning. They had a lot of alcohol problems before they eventually passed due to addiction and poisoning. I remember the one promise that my mother and father said to me before everything went downhill; they said "Promise you will become champion one day?". I kept that quote inside of my head until now." Jaxon emotionally said as he looked up in the sky for a few seconds, knowing that his parents were up there watching down on him. "Mom, dad, I did it! I'm a champion! I hope I made you both proud and can't wait to see you both again one day!" The crowd gave Jaxon another ovation after hearing his story over the speakers. Some fans were crying as a result, knowing how much emotion the kid was going through during that time of period.

"As far as the other obstacles such as anxiety and my diagnosis, I tried my best to ignore it. I felt that it would only hold me back from reaching my full potential. Then there was the moment I just had to share with the world about my life and such. The outport of support was beyond amazing, amazing enough to make me feel much better in tough times. Hard work and passion also led me here to this moment. If I didn't give 100% effort, I wouldn't be close to making this tournament. I worked so hard just to get here, and to become champion of dueling after all of this is just unbelievable. Thank you fans as well, you guys are the most passionate and amazing fans dueling has to offer! I feel blessed dueling in front of the greatest fans in the world right here!" Jaxon said as more tears streamed down his cheeks. He was still trying to think about how to compose himself after giving a heartfelt interview like this, but at this point, even if he did try, he probably wouldn't have been successful.

"I believe Director Godwin is here- Yes here he is, Rex Godwin ladies and gentlemen!" The reporter announced as the crowd witnessed and cheered as the trophy was presented to Jaxon by the director.

"Jaxon, you have worked so hard to get to this point. All of us are emotional just witnessing the crowning of the new champion of dueling. That is how much this means to dueling in general. All duelists work as hard as they can to earn this title, and I'm so proud to honor you and hand you the title of the new king of dueling. Well done, Jaxon." Rex states as the crowd cheered once again as Rex wraps the medal around Jaxon's neck.

"Thank you Director Godwin, to accept an award presented by a huge figure like you is unbelievable. I'm never going to forget this moment, and hopefully I earn a lot of money as a bonus!" Jaxon joked as the crowd acknowledged him with a mix of cheers and laughter.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, one more time, let's hear it for your new champion of the world, Jaxon "Vagabond" Meyer!" She states as the crowd gave one more roar of cheers towards Jaxon who was overcome with emotion.

"I would advise you to head back to the VIP duelist room, there you can wait until the post tournament press conference is about to begin. We'll text you the details asap!" Rex tells Jaxon.

"Yes sir, I'll make sure to be there as soon as I can be there." Jaxon responds.

"That's really good to hear! Do you know where the conference will be held at?" Rex asks Jaxon.

"Yes sir. I know the stadium, trust me." Jaxon says to Rex who was relieved after hearing those words.

"Good to hear, we'll see you there!" Rex happily says.

"I'll see you there as well!" Jaxon happily responded as he started to head back to the VIP duelist area while being escorted by security guards. On his way back, he gave some handshakes and high fives to the little kids who wanted to see him. He then waved good-bye to the fans and hoped he would see them again very soon.

Before he enters the VIP duelist room, he sees a familiar face. In fact, it was another duelist that Jaxon had defeated before he faced Jack.

"Is that you Yusei?" Jaxon asked.

"You betcha I'm Yusei." He answers. They both greet each other with a special handshake and a quick hug. "Congrats on winning the whole thing brother. I knew there was something special with you!"

Well thanks Yusei. Too bad for you I had to claw through you just to get to Jack Atlas. Thanks for holding me up!" Jaxon joked at Yusei, who chuckled after hearing Jaxon's words.

"Uh, you're welcome I guess?" Yusei joked back. Both duelists then head inside the VIP room to discuss something other than just the duel itself. Yusei's joking look turned into a sudden worriness after witnessing Jaxon's eyes glow bright blue, along with his mark.

"Yo Jaxon, mind if I talk to you about something?" Yusei asked as both duelists took a seat at the sofa, watching the post tournament coverage.

"Sure bro. I'm all ears." Jaxon answered in a calm tone, noticing the sudden change of the mood of Yusei.

"So, you know the duel between you and Jack right? The moment after you took that big attack?" Yusei asked Jaxon who nodded in response.

"Yeah of course, I remember that moment." Jaxon answered in a more happy tone, trying to change the mood of the conversation. "The look on Jack's face afterwards was pretty priceless I'm not gonna lie!" Yusei didn't budge after hearing what Jaxon had to say. He grew worried that Jaxon didn't understand what he initially was talking about.

"I'm talking about the moment after he said some harsh things to you. You know what I'm talking about now don't you?" Yusei asked once again. "The moment your mark and your eyes glowed."

"Ohhh, THAT moment…" Jaxon realized. "Yeah that was a weird moment wasn't it?"

"Do you know what caused the whole thing to happen in the first place?" Yusei then asked the champion. "Did something just spark inside of you that caused your mark and eyes to glow?"

"I don't know why or how it happened, but if I were to trace back to that duel against Jack… when he started to talk down on me about my late parents, my developmental disorder, and me being a "forever runner-up", I think that was when everything started to get out of control."

"Yeah, I agree. I think as soon as Jack was finished "mocking" you, I think something exploded inside of you mentally and you took over the duel from there." Yusei nodded. "But at the same time however, I'm concerned."

"Concerned? Concerned about what?" Jaxon asked Yusei.

"I'm concerned about the way you acted towards Jack during that duel. It felt like you were a completely different person at the end of the duel." Yusei answered back. "You almost seemed like you turned evil."

"Evil?" Jaxon said. "I didn't know that retaliation against an opponent was an act of evil. The dude talked about my dead parents for god sakes."

"I'm not saying what you did was evil." Yusei said back. "What I'm trying to say is that you didn't need to retaliate the way you did in that duel."

"I guess I could have done a better job handling that particular situation couldn't I?" Jaxon asked himself.

"Why ask about this whole thing anyways? That's what I want to know." Jaxon abruptly asks Yusei.

"Remember when we passed the pyramid during our trip within the Crimson Dragon? Yusei asked Jaxon as he nodded back. "Well, you saw the purple symbol that resembled your ace monster hopefully."

"Yes I saw that. I really don't know why it appeared in a purple color as well." Jaxon said. Just after responding, he also wanted answers as to why his mark wasn't featured on the human figures within the pyramid.

"Hey Yusei, are there any answers as to why my mark wasn't present among those people we saw on the pyramid?" Jaxon asked Yusei, quickly getting his attention.

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out." Yusei answered. "And that's what I'm also worried about. I'm worried that you may not be a signer at all."

"How could you say that though? I have a mark on my arm that glows red!" Jaxon worryingly tells Yusei as he shows his mark to him. "See? There's no reason for me to not be a signer! I have a glowing red mark just like the rest of you!"

"I understand that you have a glowing red mark like us!" Yusei quickly responded to Jaxon as he showed his mark, revealing a physique that differed from Jaxon's mark. "However, your mark seems to be different from the rest of ours."

"Ok, I know that my mark doesn't look as identical as the rest of yours, but that doesn't mean my mark shouldn't be left out, right?" Jaxon said. "I mean, do you guys consider me an ally, and a friend?"

"Of course you're our friend. All of us are friends of one another!" Yusei quickly added as he looked down at the floor. "I'm just worried that you're only going to grow in power and eventually you'll walk down a path that you may not be able to find your way out of."

"But don't we want to grow in power? Do you think the level of our powers as of right now is where we need to be in order to combat what's out there?" Jaxon asks Yusei.

"Jaxon, I'm sure everyone wants power to defeat evil." Yusei added. "However, growing power comes at a risk. Too much power can lead to corruption, and eventually can lead someone towards evil actions."

"Well you're not wrong there…" Jaxon murmured under his breath.

"Look, I'm sure we can talk about this some other time. I think you should enjoy the rest of the night with being the new champion of dueling." Yusei says suddenly, changing the subject.

"You know what? You're right." Jaxon says in a positive tone. "I shouldn't worry about what happened. After all, me and Jack are on good terms as of right now. Hopefully we can discuss this whole thing later."

"That's what I like to hear!" Yusei said as he and Jaxon got up and did their special handshake. "Well, I think you should start heading out to your press conference, it starts in about 15 minutes."

"Yep, I'm heading that way right now." Jaxon quickly nodded.

"You know, I also discussed this mark situation with someone else. Have you heard of Misty Tredwell?" Jaxon asked.

"I don't know her personally, but I do know her for being one of the top models in New Domino City. What about her?" Yusei asked back.

"Well, she also has some knowledge of all of this, which is interesting. Just wanted to tell you." Jaxon tells him.

"Very interesting; well I should leave you to your conference then." Yusei tells Jaxon.

"Perfect. I'll meet up with y'all very soon hopefully! Take care brother." Jaxon said as he smiled at Yusei, who smiled back before disappearing from Jaxon's sight.

Jaxon then went on his way towards the area where the post tournament press conference was being held. While making his way through the stadium, he still thought about the discussions he had with both Yusei and Misty earlier in the day.

"_Am I really a signer? I know my mark doesn't represent a part of the Crimson Dragon but that doesn't mean I can't fight evil, right?" _He thought as he approached the conference room, ready to face the media.

**~LINEBREAK~**

After what it seemed to take about 30 to 45 minutes to ask questions about his duels and experience. Jaxon finally heads his way out towards his duel runner that was taken in by maintenance employees and parked near the exits.

"Thanks for watching my runner guys." Jaxon told the group as they nodded in response.

Jaxon then gathered his belongings into his carry on, zipped up his bag and started his runner, ready to head out to the outside world for the first time as champion. He then sees the exit gate open in front of him; all of a sudden he sees a line of fans wanting to say goodbye before he heads back to his home.

He then transitions into the drive gear and proceeds to head towards the exit. The fans who were outside gave him one more round of an ovation before they saw their favorite duelist leave their sights.

As Jaxon reached outside, he waved to his fans and said a few encouraging things to the fans before merging on the highway nearby. He looked back one more time at his fans and gave one more wave before disappearing into nearby traffic.

It would normally take about 20-30 minutes for him to get back home if he were to stay on the highway. Luckily there was a duel runner only highway for duel runners to drive on at the next exit. Jaxon takes the exit towards the duel runner highway, and checks with the guards to make sure everything was ok before he would take the road.

He then gets the all clear from the guards and speeds up as fast as he can along the pathway. It would only take 10 minutes for Jaxon to reach his home; the pathways were mainly straight and didn't require any decrease in speed whatsoever. He then sees his house, opens his garage, and parks his runner inside.

"Ahh, home sweet home." Jaxon said to himself as he shuts the engine off and closes his garage door. He then grabs all of his belongings and heads towards his room to get into more comfortable clothes as he prepares to sleep for the rest of the night as it was 10:30, the normal time he would head to bed.

Before he drifts off to sleep, he checks his phone to see what was up with Twitter. In fact, his account was blowing up with mentions, replies, likes, and retweets as news of his victory in the tournament was the number 1 trend in the world at the moment.

"Life is so great these days… especially when you're the new king of dueling!" He tweets to his Twitter account. "Let's hope this blows up overnight!" He then says as he turns off the lights and his phone so that he could sleep in peace.

Just before he closes his eyes however, he receives a text message from someone familiar.

"_Call me if you can"_

_-Misty_

"Oh what now Misty?" Jaxon said to himself as he picked up the phone and dialed Misty's number to call her.

Misty: Hello?

Jaxon: It's Jaxon. The guy you wanted to call this late at night.

Misty: Oh that's right Jaxon! You literally have no idea how proud I am of you for winning the title!

Jaxon: Well, thanks. I really appreciate the comments.

Misty: Well I do apologize for calling you this late. I just wanted to call you to ask you if you wanted to meet up at my place tomorrow.

Jaxon: Y-your place? Are you serious?

Misty: Yes, I'm being legit here! I want to meet up with you if you can tomorrow just to check up with you.

Jaxon: Well…

Misty: If you don't want to, I can understand.

Jaxon: No no, I'll be happy to meet with ya. After all you're one of my best friends and you slightly made a confession to me before I dueled Jack.

Misty: Wait, did I confess to you?

Jaxon: I'm sure you did. You said you had feelings for me!

Misty: Ohhhh. Yea I did say that didn't I?

Jaxon: Pretty much.

Misty: Oh well, I'll live with it. Besides, I also would like to talk with you about your mark and destiny more tomorrow as well.

Jaxon: I had a feeling you were gonna say something about that. I was thinking the same thing.

Misty: That's great to hear!

Jaxon: So what time is best for you?

Misty: Would 8:30 or 9 AM work for you?

Jaxon: Sure why not? I'm a morning person after all.

Misty: Perfect, I'll be ready by then. I'll see you between that time hopefully!

Jaxon: Ok Misty, I'll see you at 8:30, how's that?

Misty: Works for me… _sweetie_

Jaxon: Wait, what did you call me?

Misty: See you at 8:30!

Jaxon: No wait I wanna kno-

The phone then suddenly buzzes, signaling the end of the call between the champion and the famous fashion model. Jaxon shrugged and smiled at the same time, knowing that he was going to have a great time with her tomorrow morning.

"That crazy supermodel. She just won't stop will she?" Jaxon said to himself as he pulled the blankets and covered up for a warm sleepy night; wanting to be well rested for tomorrow morning's meeting with the supermodel.

"Oh, one more thing" Jaxon once again said to himself. He then quickly got up, unzipped his carry on and unloaded the title belt he received at the conference and set it on his dresser next to his bed.

"Now THAT'S more like it!" Jaxon said as he then pulled his blankets one more time, quickly drifting to sleep shortly after.


	11. Chapter 10: Dark Presence

**Chapter 10: Dark Presence**

Sunlight and chirping birds filled the sounds and sights of a beautiful morning in New Domino City, especially for Jaxon, who was the new champion of dueling. He couldn't hear the birds as he was in a deep sleep, deeper than normal due to the amount of hard work put into his duels last night. 

"**BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ"**

Jaxon's alarm set on his phone suddenly rings, immediately ending the peaceful sleep. Jaxon slowly opened his eyes as the sunlight pierced through his windows, lighting up his room.

"Welp, another dream cut short." Jaxon said as he turned off the alarm on his phone. He then pushes the covers and starts to head up towards the shower when he looks to his right where his championship title was set. He then picks up his phone to check out his social media and see what the world was talking about.

Even though the whole tournament was last night, Jaxon was still trending number one on Twitter. People were still tweeting about last night's tournament at a record pace. He even got a ton of mentions from famous people who watched the whole thing, including former duelists and duelists who competed at the fortune cup. Duelists such as Yusei, and even Jack mentioned him in such tweets that brought a smile to his face.

As he was scrolling down the Fortune Cup section on Twitter, he recognized that Misty Tredwell mentioned him in a tweet.

"_Wait, Misty has a Twitter account? Great, I wonder what she said on Twitter." _He thought as he read Misty's tweet.

_MistyTredwell: That's my boy ❤ RealVagabond_

"You've got to be kidding me…" Jaxon said as he gave a confused look at his phone. "Now everyone's gonna know she likes me."

Jaxon then clicks on Misty's Twitter account to check out her profile. Not surprisingly, she had quite a bit of followers, more than what Jaxon had.

"She's got some fanbase doesn't she?" Jaxon said as he pressed the follow button on Misty's profile before closing the app and getting ready for his shower. Knowing that he was going to spend time with Misty, he wanted to make sure that he had enough time to properly get ready for today. He personally never had a girl invite him to spend time with, so this was a new experience for him.

After setting up the shower, Jaxon then tosses his old clothes into his laundry basket, sets his towels onto the sink and steps into the shower for his daily morning wash.

"_You know, I don't know what goes through that beautiful woman's mind sometimes. I feel like she asked me to spend time with her this morning just so that she can flirt with me for as long as she wants." He then thinks as he grabs a bottle of body wash. "Who gives, I'm probably not the right guy for her anyways. She's gonna want someone that not only is socially active but also has the looks. I literally don't have both characteristics. If she actually likes me, I will be the luckiest human being on the planet!"_

It would take another 30 minutes before Jaxon finished the final touches of his shower. He then steps out, dries himself off with the towels he brought and dressed up enough to comfortably step into his room, where his dress clothes were.

Before he got dressed, he quickly checked the time on his phone to make sure he wasn't running behind schedule. It was about 7:30 AM, an hour before he would meet up with Misty.

"_Oh good, now all I need to do now is to get dressed and I'll be set!" _Jaxon thinks as he takes his time getting properly dressed. He didn't have too many clothes that were considered "fancy", however, he did have a few that would be just right for the occasion. He then simply puts on a dress like polo shirt with an undershirt just in case, and long fittable khakis to make his appearance more professional.

He then looked over to his long mirror that was attached to the wall near his bed and made sure that everything from head to toe was perfect.

"_Ok Jaxon, if you can handle dueling in front of thousands of fans, you can surely handle talking to one of the most popular models in the world." _Jaxon processed. _"If everything goes well, who knows what will happen!"_

It was then 7:45; he was all ready to go and head out to Misty's apartment hotel, where she currently lives. He wanted to make a first impression upon his arrival, so he then decided to look for a possible nearby street flower shop to impress Misty as much as he can. Luckily, he found one close to Misty's place.

"Nice! That'll save a TON of time!" Jaxon said as he proceeded towards his car in his garage. He grabs his car keys from the kitchen counter and proceeds to start the engine at the press of a button. The sound of the engine coming from his BMW M3 E46, resonated throughout the household.

"_Man, the engine sound never gets old!" _He once again thought to himself as he opened his garage door and the driver door to his car. He then reverses his car out of his garage, closes his garage door, and proceeds to the nearby highway. The roar of the engine of Jaxon's car put a smile to Jaxon's face, as if he was in Need for Speed Most Wanted; his favorite racing game.

About 10 minutes later, he sees the flower shop set outside near Misty's apartment hotel. He then decides to park at the nearest spot near the door, since the shop was only a few buildings away. He quickly grabs his wallet and cash and walks towards the shop, he asks for a bag of white and teal roses and swaps his cash in exchange for the flowers. Both Jaxon and the flourist exchange thanks and Jaxon proceeds to head to the front doors.

Before Jaxon enters, he takes in a deep breath and looks up to the sky, praying for strength and bravery. He then pushes one of the doors and is immediately in awe of the scenery of the building inside.

"Woah. Now THIS is a luxury hotel. No wonder why Misty lives in such a place." Jaxon said as he looked around the interior of the hotel. The walls glittered with decorations; lights glowing as if Jaxon was living in the Renaissance era; furniture that was post modern-era; it had everything that a celebrity would enjoy at a hotel.

"Can I help you sir?" A female receptionist said to Jaxon, breaking his attention from the decorations and lights.

"Yes! I'm here because I'm meeting with Misty Tredwell, the model that lives here." Jaxon answers. A few seconds later, the receptionist's look turns into shock as she recognizes the familiar face.

"Wait, aren't you Jaxon? The person that won the championship from Jack Atlas?!" She said.

"Yes madam! I'm the person!" Jaxon happily said back.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe my eyes! The new champion right in front of my eyes! This has to be a dream isn't it?!" She exclaims as she jumps up and down happily. Jaxon couldn't help but give out a chuckle.

"It's no dream, it's reality!" Jaxon said with a smile. "I can assure you I will do my very best to represent well as a champion. Isn't that what a champion should do? Don't you think?"

"Oh of course! You are definitely one of my favorite duelists to watch. How old are you by the way?" The receptionist suddenly asked.

"I'm 20 years old." Jaxon said back.

"Wow, so you're only 20 years old and champion? That's unbelievable! Most people can only dream of being champions at that young of an age!" She says as she recognizes the bag of flowers that Jaxon was holding in front of him.

"Oh, who are these flowers for again?" She asks curiously.

"These are for Misty, the woman I'm meeting with very shortly. She said that she would be meeting with me down here at around 8:30." Jaxon said as the receptionist saw someone walk through the inner main lobby entrance behind Jaxon. It was Misty. The receptionist kept her mouth shut knowing that any mention of her would catch Jaxon's attention. She then keeps listening to what Jaxon had to say as Misty slowly walked towards Jaxon, who didn't notice her presence.

"You know, I heard that she loves the colors white and teal. So that's why I gave her these types of roses! I bet she'll love them don't you think?" Jaxon asked her as she nodded her head in approval. "Good to know you agree! I think today will go very well to say the least."

"Oh good, you're here!" Misty suddenly asks Jaxon, shocking him suddenly as a result. Jaxon then turned around to face Misty, who was to say the least, happy to see the young fellow.

"O-oh, Hi M-Misty! I- I didn't expect you to s-surprise me like that!" Jaxon said shyly as he was surprised at Misty's appearance. Her glistening outfit, the darkness of her long black hair, and the reflecting bright lights on her necklace made her look like a queen of a higher monarchy.

"I had a feeling you were going to arrive earlier than the scheduled time. So I decided to surprise you!" Misty happily tells Jaxon as she walks closer to him. Jaxon couldn't help but put a smile to his face just by being at awe of her presence and fashion she holds.

"_Oh heavens, she's so beautiful!" _He thought as he continued to soak in the presence of the supermodel. Misty then caught attention of the roses Jaxon was holding, she gasped in shock not knowing that she would receive such a gift.

"Oh my god… d-did you buy these for me?" Misty stuttered.

"Umm, y-yeah. I decided to buy these roses for you. I bought them as a gift for you for being such a caring person in my life, and also as a symbol of regret for not recognizing that you were my best friend in the early stage of my life." Jaxon said in a quiet tone as he handed the bag of flowers towards Misty, who was nearly in tears. "I really do hope you love them. I chose teal and white as the colors since you wear white and teal dresses everytime I see you."

"I-I-I love them!" Misty happily said as she quickly hugged Jaxon as the two embraced each other for a few moments before separating. "You have no idea how happy you have made me today! I'm so happy I could just-" Misty then embraces Jaxon once more. She then quickly pecks her lips on Jaxon's left cheek, causing him to blush heavily.

"What? Was that your first time being kissed on the cheek by a girl?" Misty asked the blemishing young man.

"Actually, yes that was the first time." Jaxon responded with no hesitation. "I know, you expected me to have experience of me being kissed, but that's not the case!"

"How interesting." Misty said as she smirked at Jaxon, letting out a near seductive laugh at the same time."

"Umm, why are you looking at me like that?" Asked Jaxon suddenly. "It seems like you're trying to get me into "that" mood."

"Oh I was just teasing with you for a moment there." Misty said back. "I wasn't trying to turn you on; right now that is…"

Jaxon's blemishing intensed even more after hearing those words from Misty's mouth. It is almost as if Misty wanted to do something "special" during the time they spend together… Hopefully neither of them jump the gun and have something end up bad happening.

"Here, how about we take this conversation somewhere else? I don't want to get too much attention from others." Misty suddenly said as she slightly chuckled.

"Yes definitely!" Jaxon answered. "Do you know where we're going?"

"It's obvious you silly boy! We're heading to my room! There we can talk about important things, and maybe talk about… other things." Misty said as she gave another smile and a smirking look at Jaxon.

"What do you mean "other things"?" Jaxon curiously asked.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough. Hehe." Misty chuckled as the two proceeded to head towards her room when suddenly Misty stopped and looked at Jaxon once again.

"One more thing I must ask you. Have you ever held another girl's hand before?" Misty curiously asked Jaxon, who gave Misty a "bruh" look.

"I held hands before, it's not difficult to be honest. Why ask?" Jaxon tells her.

"Well since it's quite a bit of a long walk, maybe we could take this time to hold each other's hands." Misty answered.

"Hehe, ok then. Anything for you Misty!" Jaxon said back as he extended his left hand towards Misty, where she follows suit. They both firmly grasp their hands together, with each other's fingers overlapping the spaces between. Both Jaxon and Misty look and smile at one another and then resume their path to her apartment room.

It would take another five minutes before they would arrive at their destination. She wasn't lying after all. In fact, her room was near the top floor of the hotel where the more popular people reside.

"I must warn you, don't stare too much when you enter inside!" Misty suddenly said as she pulled out her room key and unlocked the door. She then opens the door to the inside of her room, revealing to Jaxon the unexpected. As soon as he steps into her room, he notices the chandelier lights hanging from above, giving the room the sparkling light it needs. He would seconds later, spot a huge grand piano towards the end of the room, giving Jaxon the thought that Misty enjoyed piano music.

That wouldn't be all for Jaxon to see. To his far left where the windows were, a slideshow of Misty from her shoots overseas was being shown. He stared at the pictures for a few seconds as while he knew she was a model, he never saw Misty while on the job.

"_So that's how she looks when she's working…" _He thought as he stared at the pictures for a few seconds

"Don't just stand there, come sit over here silly!" Misty joked as Jaxon walked over to her and placed himself in a chair across from Misty, where she was on a sofa.

"Here, come sit next to me." She says while tapping the sofa to her left side.

"Really? Do you want me to?" Jaxon asks nervously.

"I would love you to! You earned the right to be next to a model like me!" She answered as she made space for Jaxon. "After all, you're my best friend, and I would like to reconnect the bond that was suddenly separated when I moved away years ago."

"Ok then. I'll sit next to you instead!" Jaxon said as he smiled at her. He then handed the bag of flowers to Misty as he sat next to her on the sofa. Misty then shifts herself back closer to Jaxon while putting her left arm behind his back.

"I'm still shocked that you decided to buy these roses for me. You didn't have to buy me anything if you didn't want to!" Misty tells him as she holds the flowers in her grasp.

"I know. I could have just saved my money and not bought these." Jaxon states.

"Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love these roses!" Misty states. "I would just love to know why you would do such a thing."

"Oh, you want to know why I bought these roses for you?" Jaxon asks.

"Yes. I would love to know." Misty answers back.

"Well originally, I just decided to buy these as a gift for you." Jaxon said. "But then I realized that I felt that you deserve something in return for everything you have been through in your young life."

"Really? So that's why you bought these for me?" Misty asked Jaxon, nodding his head in approval. "I don't know what to say, but thank you. I didn't expect someone like you of all people to do something like this, all just for me. I really don't deserve you."

"I mean we're best friends, right?" Jaxon said. "Even if I forgot that you were in the early part of my life, you were there to reconnect the memories we once had. I really felt bad for not remembering you right then."

Jaxon then looks down upon the wooden tile floor below them in guilt. Misty quickly grabs the bottom of his chin, gaining back his attention quickly.

"You don't need to feel bad anymore Jaxon." Misty said as she moved slightly closer to Jaxon. "It's in the past, and what we need to do now is to focus on what's ahead."

"You know what? I couldn't agree more. You're absolutely right." Jaxon stated. "Maybe sometime, the two of us can visit a place somewhere and just be in each other's presence."

"R-really? You would like that?" Misty suddenly asked.

"Yes, I would like that." Jaxon responded with a slight smile across his face. "In fact, on days that I don't duel, I'm at home alone. Maybe I can replace those lonely days with days being with someone… like you."

"So, are you saying that you would like to go out sometime? With me?" Misty asked. Jaxon then closed his eyes for a moment before opening them back up.

"Yes. I would love to go out with you sometime." Jaxon said as the two smiled at each other for what it seemed like the hundredth time. "You can call it a date if you feel like it."

"Are you sure about this?" Misty asked him.

"I'm positive. Very positive about this." He responds back. Both Jaxon and Misty embrace each other once again.

"_I love you." _Misty suddenly whispers into Jaxon's left ear, causing him to slightly send shivers throughout his body.

"What was that again?" Jaxon said softly to Misty, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Yes, you heard it. I love you." She says once again. A feeling near his heart starts to rush across Jaxon's body. It was the first time a girl fully confessed her love to him in his life.

"_This is such a weird feeling. No other girl that has come across my life has ever said those three words! I feel so blessed by the man upstairs."_ He processed.

"You know, I never would have imagined a woman like you would say those three words to a loaner like me." He softly states as the two look into each other's marble blue eyes.

"I know how you feel Jaxon, but this girl right in front of you just said those words to that beautiful looking face of yours." She mumbles. Misty then slowly raises and wraps her arms around Jaxon's neck, once again bringing them close to one another. "Besides, those other girls you came across valued looks only. I value something more important than what's on the outside."

"_No no no, don't cry Jaxon, don't break down in front of her!" _He thought as his eyes started to glisten and fill up with saltwater. As soon as he attempts to wipe his eyes dry, Misty hands him a tissue, just like she did when Jaxon was at a different state before his final duel with Jack.

"Thanks for the tissue." He then dries off his eyes with the tissue in hand.

"Anything for you, Jaxon." Misty then embraces Jaxon with a hug once more, this time with more of a comfort feeling.

"I do apologize for my current state of emotions. I just never felt loved like this before. It's such a weird feeling." He slightly shivers as Misty's long arms begin to stroke along his back.

"Don't worry, I completely understand." She then raises Jaxon's chin, leveling his eyes as they once again made eye contact. "You'll get used to it, and hopefully, you'll love the feeling of being loved."

"I sure hope so." Jaxon says. They then both look at the time and realize that an hour has already gone by. Jaxon, using this time, suddenly stands up and stretches for a moment.

"_Maybe I should just ask her out on a date right now… Yea, sounds good to me!"_

"Now that I think about it, going out with you would be perfect for both of us." Jaxon says quickly.

"Hopefully, you can find the time this week to spend some time with me!" Misty tells Jaxon.

"Well that depends if you have any free time." He responds.

"I may be a supermodel, but you would be surprised at how much free time I actually have." Misty states. "Especially after my recent trip overseas, my manager decided to have me take the rest of the week off."

"Really?" Jaxon asked. "I never knew you models had so much time off after hard days of photoshoots."

"It's actually pretty common to get a few days off, or even a week once we finish photoshoots. It takes time for managers to think about where to photoshoot next!" She claims. "Thus, leaving time to ourselves to enjoy our personal lives."

"Well I never knew that!" Jaxon jokingly yells slightly. "I mean, don't you have bigger things to do on your days off?"

"Not really, I used to when my brother was around." She later states. "I would always have tag duels with him with others. He influenced me to not only focus on modeling, but also dueling, which I rarely do these days. Now that he's gone, the only things I do on my days off are planning my next trip for my upcoming photoshoots."

"Well today looks like a great day doesn't it? Clear skies, beautiful sunrise over the eastern horizon, morning birds chirping; spending a day like today outside wouldn't hurt would it?" Jaxon wondered.

"Indeed it is beautiful… Yes, today would be very nice to go out with you!" She then quickly states to Jaxon, who was caught off guard by her words.

"Wait, do you really mean it? Today?!" Jaxon blunts out. "Well, I know I said I was free today, but I- I don't know if I'm ready yet…"

"Oh come on, the same person who won the championship from Jack Atlas is afraid to go out on a date with his girl?" Misty jokingly asked as she slightly chuckled. He gave Misty a grumpy look while his cheeks blushed.

"I'm not afraid… It would just be my first time going out with a girl, you know?"

"Oh I'm just kidding, champ! You know I wouldn't make fun of you unlike everyone else!" She jokes. Both Jaxon and Misty smiled at each other once again. It seemed as if they were talking as if they had been together as a couple for years.

"You know what? How about we go out right now?" Jaxon suddenly asks.

"Right now? Are you ok with it? Don't feel pressured to hold off until later if you feel like it." Misty responds.

"I'm actually free for the rest of the day believe it or not!"

"Very well then, let's go!" She quickly rises to her feet, gathers her needy items and puts them into her expensive purse, ready to head out.

"Aren't you a quick one?" He joked.

"Probably quicker than you! Hehehe." Misty giggled as the two once again smiled at each other and headed towards outside. The two soon left the building and the first thing Misty saw was Jaxon's BMW. To not everyone's surprise, she was amazed at the appearance of the vinyls and structure of Jaxon's car.

"Oh my, this is one fancy car you have."

"Indeed it is, my parents and I decided to get a car as a reward for my hard work during my school days. The colors remind me of their favorite colors, silver and blue." He stated. "The vinyls? They were an influence from Need for Speed, where this same car had the exact vinyl I was looking for."

"Regardless of the cost, it seems to be a pretty successful investment wasn't it?" Misty saked.

"Very successful I should tell ya. Thankfully, the place I want to take you to requires a bit of travel, want to take a ride inside?"

"Why yes! Let's see if the inside is just as good or even better than what the outside presents." She said as Jaxon unlocked the car and began to sit in the driver seat.

"Make sure not to leave this pretty girl hanging!"

"Don't worry don't worry, I ain't gonna forget my date! I promise." He smiled at her as he pressed up on the universal unlock switch on his driver door. Misty then takes a seat beside Jaxon, revealing the inside of the BMW to herself.

"Amazing. I wish my car had this layout." She said as she continued to look around.

"What car do you drive?"

"Oh just a convertible." She answered. "It's more classic rather than modern so it's not technologically advanced as this one."

"I see. Convertibles are great cars aren't they?" He asked.

"They're ok. The only great thing about my car is that I can transform it into a compact car if I want to. Other than that, nothing much." Misty responded. "But enough talk about cars, where are you taking this lovely lady you have beside you?

"Well this is my first date as you should know, so I decided to choose a place that would be perfect for a first date. How about a simple date at the Cafe la Geen?" He asked his date.

"Cafe la Geen? The coffee shop that serves the Blue Eyes Mountain? That would be the perfect place!" She happily says.

"Perfect. I know the perfect route to the cafe, so allow me." He then starts the engine and proceeds to shift to reverse, pulling out of his parking spot in front of Misty's hotel. The way is then clear for Jaxon to proceed forward. It wouldn't take long for Jaxon to increase the speed of his car as he merges onto a nearby city highway.

"What's that high pitch noise I hear?" Misty asked Jaxon.

"The high pitch noise you hear is the straight cut gearbox. Due to how it was made, everytime I speed up, the level of the sound gets higher but not louder. The dealership where this car was made modified the gearbox to make sure the sound doesn't explode in volume."

"Interesting. Does this car have certain modifications that the other cars don't have?"

"As far as I know, the only modifications that are in this car are the gearbox, the blue and silver vinyl, and the rear spoiler on the trunk. Other than that, everything seems normal." Jaxon responded.

Five minutes later, both would arrive at their destination at the cafe. Thankfully, today is one of the least busiest days the cafe would have. There were plenty of open tables for Jaxon to choose from.

"Here, hold on a second." Jaxon said as he stepped outside, leaving Misty to wonder what was going on. She then realized that Jaxon made his way back to her side of the car, eventually opening the door for her.

"Wow, what kind gentlemen you are! You didn't have to do that for me!"

"No it's fine, allow me!" Jaxon makes way for Misty as she fully exits Jaxon's car. Jaxon then decides to grab his duel disk just in case something were to pop up. Misty smiled at him as soon as she saw him with his disk in his possession.

"Hehehe, you never change do you?" She joked.

"You're right I guess." Jaxon then points at an open table close to the cafe building, shielding them from the sunlight.

"How about over there? There's no sunlight beaming down in that area."

"Perfect! Let's head there then." Both Jaxon and Misty soon arrive at their chosen table. Jaxon then scoots the nearest chair out a bit for his date. Misty looks at Jaxon once again with a smirk look.

"You're going to be like this the entire time aren't you?" She asks.

"I mean, should all men treat women the way I'm treating you? After all, you're a famous supermodel. I think you deserve special treatment!" Jaxon said back.

"Well thank you for treating me this way, but I think you can relax on the gentleman's attitude for the day, no?"

"I mean, I guess I could. But then again, you're my date, and I should treat you as nice as possible shouldn't I?" Jaxon asked back.

"I'm not stopping you, love. Go ahead if you want to."

"I probably will." He smiled at Misty as the two finally took their seats and thought about what they were going to order.

"What are you planning to order?" Jaxon asked Misty, who continued to look at the menu.

"I think we should both order the Blue Eyes Mountain at least. Don't you agree?" She said as she continued looking around the menu.

"I agree! We can afford it easily regardless of the price. How about food wise?" Jaxon asked once again.

"I'll simply go for a Veggie Sandwich if you don't mind. I think that's all I'll order for now." Misty finalized.

"Well I'm more of a meat guy, so I'll take the Ham and Cheese Sandwich with a soda to wash the flavor down after." Jaxon said as he set the menu down in front of him as he finished his thought process of his order.

"Sorry I kept you two waiting? May I take your ord-" The young lady soon stopped herself as she recognized the two by their looks.

"Is everything ok?" Misty asked the server.

"Oh, y-yes! Everything is ok, I just didn't expect New Domino City's supermodel to arrive at our cafe!"

"Well I didn't choose this place, my date across from me decided to have our first date here." Misty said as the young server initially didn't recognize the young man as he was wearing his red hat and a pair of sunglasses, making it a little difficult to recognize.

"Oh really? What's your name young man?" The server asked.

"Well, my name is Jaxon, with an x"

"Jaxon? That's a unique version of that name! It's nice to meet you! I'm Stephanie."

"It's very nice to meet you, Stephanie! I'm assuming you are the server for us today?" He asked Stephanie.

"Yes I am! It's a pleasure to serve a lovely couple like you two!" She happily says as she takes out a pad, preparing to write their orders down.

"One more thing Stephanie," Misty suddenly said as Stephanie raised her head quickly. "Jaxon is actually a pretty famous guy as of last night!"

"Oh really? Why's that?" She asked Misty as she gestured at Jaxon, who calmly smiled as he began to say why he was famous as of last night.

"Well, you know the Fortune Cup tournament that took place last night? The night where Jack Atlas lost his title and number one ranking?" Jaxon asked Stephanie, who still had no idea that she was talking to the same person who defeated Atlas that same night.

"Yes I did hear about that. I was hoping Jack Atlas would really come out on top against that tough opponent he faced." She said as she lowered her tone. "I was pretty sad that he wasn't able to beat him, although Jack's opponent was very respectful after the duel. I like the new guy in town!"

"Well, this may be a surprise to you, but the person who beat Jack Atlas for his spot as the number one duelist in the world is sitting right before your very eyes." He said to Stephanie.

"Wait, you're the guy who beat him?! Your voice sounds familiar! And your hat looks familiar as well!" She happily tells him as Jaxon nodded in approval.

"Wow! This is a once in a lifetime event! The famous supermodel and the new king of dueling in front of me? On a date? At the cafe? This is a dream come true!" She slightly jumps in excitement, catching the attention of some pedestrians walking past them.

"A dream coming true indeed!" Misty says. "It's actually rare that I see some people actually recognize me in person."

"Well am I glad to recognize both of you!" Stephanie states. "Now are you two ready to order?" Both ? Jaxon and Misty nodded as Stephanie grabbed a black pen, ready to write.

"I'll let my supermodel go first." Jaxon says to Stephanie while guestering to Misty.

"Will you stop it?" She joked as they both giggled. "I'll have the Blue Eyes Mountain with a Veggie Sandwich."

"Now I'll turn it over to my lovely champion." Misty calmly says.

"I'll also take a Blue Eyes Mountain, with a Ham and Cheese Sandwich and a Coca-Cola. That'll do it."

"Perfect! We'll be sure to bring them out in no time!" Stephanie quickly rushes inside the cafe, leaving the two alone for the time being.

"She's a quick one isn't she?" Jaxon asks Misty.

"Seems like it." She answers.

"You know Jaxon, everytime I talk to you, it seems as if you don't have mild Autism." She suddenly states, quickly grabbing Jaxon's full attention.

"Really? You mean it?" Jaxon quickly asks.

"Yes. So far you haven't shown any signs of trouble when you speak. Which is a common issue for others like you, isn't it?"

"Well to me, it depends if the person is fully comfortable. Since I'm in a comfortable position right now, I don't have as many issues." Jaxon says. "Now of course that doesn't mean I'm completely clear of these issues, I still have a hiccup here and then."

"Oh yeah, that's understandable. In fact, no one is perfect during conversations and no one will ever be perfect. Ranges of issues extend from simple misuse of words, to incorrect statements, to flat out insults." Misty adds on as Jaxon nods in approval. "Everyone makes those mistakes, including the two of us. It's something that will exist within our human minds, regardless if they have certain disabilities or not."

"You know Misty, sometimes you speak like you have a doctorate in psychology."

"Oh stop, I don't have a doctorate!" She said jokingly. "I just remember what my parents said when I was very young, of course that was when my younger brother was around…"

Misty then looked down, thinking about her late brother. Jaxon knew he had to do something to get Misty to feel happy again.

"I still miss him, so dearly." Misty said in a somber tone. "Almost everyday I think about him. Sometimes I think about how my life would be if he was still alive. I wish he was still around."

"I'm sure he misses you too. I'm also sure he'll be waiting for you when your time comes. After all, heaven is a better place than Earth, right?" Jaxon asks.

"That's totally true. I can't wait to see him again; but I have a life to live, and I have you. That's all I need for right now."

"You know, whenever you need to talk to someone, I'm here. I barely talk to anyone else besides my closest buddies." Jaxon then reaches out with his right hand, grasping Misty left hand to give some sort of comfort.

"If you need someone to help you get through tough times, then I'll be very willing to be that person. I want you to feel happy all the time, and it hurts my heart to see you in a state of depression." Jaxon softly wipes his eyes, quickly drying them before streams of water were to flow down his cheeks. "Don't be afraid to give me a call or a text. After all, you have my number, right?"

"Yes, I have it under my contacts. I won't stop myself if I need to let you know about something. I promise to my very heart!" Misty said.

"Even if it requires me to be there with you, I'll be there to give you the comfort and love that you deserve. I believe a beautiful and kind woman like you deserves a person that will dedicate time just for you." Jaxon concludes.

"Thank you, Jaxon. I'll make sure to let you know if I need you." Misty softly states as the two let go of their grasp. Seconds later, Stephanie arrives with the couple's order.

"I do apologize for the long wait!" She states, worried. "I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for the two of you, especially because of your popular status."

"No need to worry Steph, we got all the time in the world!" Jaxon says to Stephanie, who exhaled in relief.

"Thanks for serving us today, we really appreciate it!" Misty tells her.

"Oh, you're very welcome! If there is anything you need, just give me a holler and I'll be happy to assist you two!" Stephanie quickly replies.

"Will do!" Jaxon and Misty said in unison.

"Well, hopefully you enjoy your meals!" Stephanie soon walks back inside the cafe to resume her normal duty as the two begin to dig in.

"I sure hope that Veggie Sandwich doesn't give you any trouble!" Jaxon suddenly says to his date.

"Same goes for your Ham and Cheese!" She giggled as the two consumed their meals at a conservative pace. They both then realize that they should also drink up their Blue Eyes Mountains they also received.

"Here, how about we drink up our Mountain coffee? That way we can give our bodies some energy for the rest of the day!"

"I agree. Let's see if the taste resembles the cost of this drink." Misty takes a sip of her Blue Eyes Mountain before taking a bigger sip.

"It's worth it indeed." She says as she watches Jaxon take a drink from his Blue Eyes Mountain. He nodded in approval as he quickly chugged his coffee, almost causing droplets of his coffee to splash on his shirt. Luckily, no coffee marks appeared and his shirt was still clean as it was before he left home.

"Sorry about that Misty. Got carried away with the richness of the flavor." Jaxon said.

"Everything's fine my love. You still look gorgeous as ever." She compliments as the two chugg away at their remaining parts of their meal. It only took them another 10 minutes before their sandwiches were gone, consumed by the two. Jaxon quickly washes down the flavor of his meal from his cola he ordered. Misty watched as she laughed at her date quickly sipping his drinking from his straw.

"You are so cute when you sip your drink like that!" She joked. "I gotta take a picture of this!" She quickly takes a snap from her phone while Jaxon wasn't looking. A light quickly flashes, catching Jaxon's attention once again. She laughs once again.

"This is definitely going on the gram! Hopefully you don't mind!" She quickly processes through her phone as she begins to post her photo to her page.

"Ha-ha-ha, very funny Misty." Jaxon said disgruntled but happy at the same time.

Stephanie soon steps out once again to receive payment from the two. Jaxon would eventually decide to pay for it all, as he had plenty of cash on him.

"We really appreciate you guys choosing our location. Come see us again!" Stephanie says before stepping back inside her cafe.

"We'll see you again soon! Take care!" Jaxon says as the two proceed to the main area away from the cafe. They had all the time in the world to explore what was in the area, but at the same time, the two also wanted to meet up to discuss not only to refresh their memory, but to discuss the events of the Fortune Cup.

"Do you mind if we take a walk around the area?" Misty asks Jaxon.

"Sure. Why not? I like walking in spring-like weather!" He answers as the two proceed on.

"I really love how this date is going so far. You haven't disappointed at all." Misty tells Jaxon.

"I'm glad to hear those words." Jaxon replied. "I also like the fact that you are one heck of a tall woman."

"Yeah, I know I'm tall." Misty giggled. "I'm like around 6'1, and it seems you look a little shorter than me!"

"Yeah… I'm only 5'11 right now. Compared to your height, I look like an overgrown midget!" Jaxon said, making Misty giggle once again.

"Jeez you might not want to get down on yourself!"

"I know, it's just that I'm taller than most girls, it's rare that I see one that's either my height or taller than I am." Jaxon tells her.

"I guess I'm one of those rare ones!" Misty nods while both proceeded towards the main commons area. Jaxon wanted to discuss some more important stuff, but there was one question he had to ask just to get off his chest.

"Misty, I'm curious. How old are you again?" He asks.

"I turned 23 this past winter. How about you?" She asks back.

"I'm currently 21, which is old enough to drink in America. Not that I'm going to drink any alcohol of some sort though." He added, making Misty slightly giggle for the 100th time it seemed.

"Knowing your beliefs that you take seriously, I doubt you will; not that I have a problem with it, cause I never drink alcohol as well!" She answers back.

"Seems that we are on the same page on the topic of alcohol aren't we?" He asks. Misty nods in approval. Another few seconds passed by; it was then Jaxon thought that the real topic of the date needed to finally be brought up.

"Hey Misty, remember when you called me last night?" Jaxon asks Misty, who stopped suddenly and turned to Jaxon.

"Why yes. Why bring it up?" She asked.

"I bring this up because during that call, you wanted to talk to me about what happened during my duel with Jack Atlas, my visions within the Crimson Dragon, and possibly reassure each other what we discussed up to today, didn't you?"

"Indeed I have. You don't mind us talking while we walk do you?" She asks just in case Jaxon wanted to discuss in private.

"I don't mind at all! A good long walk is good for your health anyways." The two proceeded forward towards the commons. What was at the commons is what you would see at any other commons area: A water fountain, a resting area, store tennants, etc.

"_This is such a relaxing place. I wish I could hang out here all day!" _

Suddenly, the pathway started to fill up with pedestrians, which was usual in areas like the commons. However, Jaxon didn't expect the sudden surge, and started to feel a little uneasy. He agreed to continue on walking with Misty, but at the same time was afraid that someone would hear their conversation and spread information to their friends. He tapped Misty on the shoulder, quickly getting her attention.

"Here, how about we talk at the resting area? I'm starting to feel uncomfortable around people I don't know, especially when they suddenly appear out of nowhere." He asks Misty.

"No problem, anything for you, love." Jaxon smiled at Misty, knowing she was compassionate and understanding of his difficulties in large crowds outside of dueling.

It wasn't long before the resting area was in sight. The two decided to take the nearest open table to not waste any precious time.

"You know, I'm surprised no one has recognized us yet. A champion and a supermodel walking in public? You would think that at least someone would point something out, right?" He suddenly asks before the two take their seats. Both then take one more look at their surroundings, seeing people walking on, almost ignoring their existence.

"Who knows, maybe they're respecting our privacy," She claims. "Or maybe they know who we are, but have more important things to do."

"At least we didn't get jumped by fans, right?" Jaxon asks.

"True. At least we can have some peace to ourselves and get on with something the both of us can discuss in private." She states.

"One more thing before we talk, you promise to keep this between us?" She asks Jaxon.

"I promise to keep it to us two. You have my very word." He says back.

"Good. I'm glad you agree." Misty adds. "Are you ready to talk?"

"If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be here sitting across from you. I'm all ears." He answers.

"Ok then. First of all, thank you for taking me out this morning. It really means a lot to go out with someone like you." Misty points out. "Thankfully we still have all the time in the world to get let out our thoughts on what happened throughout the entire tournament."

"I have a few things I would like to say as well. Hopefully you have some insight on what you can provide." Jaxon says. "Do you also mind if we can reiterate on what we talked about to this point?"

"No problem." She answers. "Do you remember the meeting we had before your duel with Yusei?"

"You mean the meeting where I had that huge anxiety attack after we met? Yeah I remember that!"

"I meant after that! Where I told you what was waiting for you after the tournament. Your fate? Your destiny?" She asked in a more serious tone that caught Jaxon off guard.

"Oh, yeah. I remember that meeting. You mentioned something about my mark, if I was truly a signer, and I think you also mentioned at one point where we would eventually duel each other. Isn't that correct?" Jaxon concludes. Misty was surprised that Jaxon remembered the key points of their previous meeting.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to remember anything." She adds.

"I do! You probably thought that the only thing I would remember is how you were trying to read my fortune by getting close to my face. I still remember how the chair fell behind me and as a result, you landed on top of me." Jaxon says. Misty cracked a giggle for a second, thinking back on that thought.

"I was positive that you brought something up like that. At least that's another thing you remembered." Misty says. 

"Yeah, but I also remembered that after we fell, I guess you attempted to-" Jaxon was suddenly halted by Misty's hand, slapped across his mouth.

"I know what I tried to do. You didn't have to remind me about that." Misty starts to blush intensely. She refused to look Jaxon in the eyes a few seconds after covering his mouth.

"Hey, no need to be so embarrassed. It's behind us. Besides, I didn't recognize you as my long lost best friend. I probably would have squirmed away anyways however." Jaxon adds to his sentence. "But that's in the past, we need to focus on what's ahead."

"That's true. However, I must apologize for what I tried to do to you. I thought that you would recognize me before I had to show pictures of us in our early years." Misty said.

"Don't worry, it's fine. Forget about it. How about we just discuss what happened at the Fortune Cup?" Jaxon asks, trying to shift the conversation into a more serious tone, knowing he wanted answers.

"Yeah. Let's talk about that." The two then shook off other thoughts in order to have their focus directly on what was about to me said.

"First, I want you to tell me about your duel with Jack. Tell me what you saw and what you heard as you were within the Crimson Dragon." Misty asked Jaxon.

"I don't know when this happened, but at one point, I heard a voice that sounded just like yours. It said that you can't escape your destiny, and you will be guided by someone very familiar."

"Very interesting. Now tell me, what happened after those words resonated? Did anything else pop up while you two were dueling?" Misty asked curiously.

"It was only a few seconds later when the "Signers" all of a sudden appeared behind us in these shield bubbles. I don't know how they were teleported, but they just appeared out of nowhere."

"Hmm. That's worth being a mystery wouldn't you agree?"

"Seems like it." Jaxon agreed. "But of course that wasn't the only thing all of us saw. We eventually saw an ancient aztec-like pyramid with human-like figures with their hands in the air. It was then we realized there were glowing red marks on each of the five figures."

"Did those marks represent the Crimson Dragon?" She asks.

"All of them did. However, as I continued to look at the marks, I realized that one particular mark was missing. The mark that was missing was my mark." Jaxon answers.

"You're mark was missing?" She asks.

"Yep. I did not see any remnants of my mark whatsoever." He responds as he takes a look at his arm, with no mark showing.

"I think I know why your mark wasn't shown." Misty claims.

"Wait, you know the reason why my mark was missing? Please tell me!" Jaxon says anxiously.

"I'll tell you when you finish talking about what you saw. If there is anything else you saw, I would love you to tell me about it." She states her position in the conversation. Jaxon felt almost afraid to tell Misty what he saw next.

"I don't know why or how this happened, but after we passed the pyramid, Luna shouts out that something was appearing in the sky." He states slowly. "All of us then look up to the sky, and immediately purple ray lines start to form in a random pattern."

Misty then quickly sat up, knowing that the next thing that Jaxon was to tell Misty would be huge in what could be in store for Jaxon's future.

"About 30 seconds passed, and then the rays stopped moving, which revealed what was being formed. What all of us saw was the image that looked exactly like my 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys', but it was glowing purple."

"Purple?" She asks as she slightly widens her eyes.

"Yes. It was in a glowing purple color. I didn't know what to think at that time, but even then I didn't have time, because all of a sudden, everything in my vision went bright."

"Can you describe what you saw in these 'visions'?" Misty asks.

"There were a total of three visions. The first vision was me seeing someone falling in front of me in some sort of dark fabric clothing." Jaxon states as he carefully processed the events within the visions he experienced.

"The second vision; I saw a group of people in similar dark fabric clothing looking down on me and the rest of the signers I was with. It only lasted like 10 seconds, so I couldn't decipher who those people were."

"The final vision nearly lasted the same length, but it was more unsettling. It looked like I was standing outside on a porch, with a woman to my right." Jaxon says as he starts to tremble. This was an experience that Jaxon never experienced before until then, and it was almost uncomfortable to talk about.

"Are you ok? Are you still with me?" Misty asks, reaching out and firming her grasp on Jaxon's left shoulder. Stopping the shaking.

"Yeah. Thanks for getting me back to Earth." Jaxon thanks Misty as she nodded. "As I was saying, it looked like there was a woman to my right. She was almost taller than I am, with long black hair to add to it."

"Are you telling me the woman looked just like me?" Misty quickly asks Jaxon.

"I'm not saying it was you. I'm saying it resembled a woman that looked like you." He confirmed. "I say this because the vision only lasted five seconds, and before I knew it, we resumed our duel."

"That's it? Nothing else happened?" She asks.

There was one other thing that happened." Jaxon then took a quick look at his right arm, where his mark glowed during his duel with Jack Atlas.

"Near the end of the duel, a glowing mark appeared along my right arm. Not only that, but I think my eyes were also glowing blue. As blue as the color of my Cerulean phoenix."

"Do you know how it all started? What caused your mark and eyes to glow?" She asks as Jaxon processes the previous duel with Jack.

"Just like I said a few seconds ago, it was near the end of the duel. I prevented a duel-ending attack, and he got pretty angry as a result. He decided to mention my parents as a way to try to get the best of me." Jaxon states.

"How did that end up for Jack?" Misty asks while smiling.

"Not so well. I made him pay by negating his "Battle Fader" to end the duel. Luckily for the both of us, neither of us were too hurt and truced at the end, even though I took his title." Jaxon smirked after stating.

"I'm pretty sure your parents would be proud of your accomplishment." Misty says.

"I know they are. I just wish I could at least meet them one more time to see how far I have come. I'll meet them again someday." Jaxon says as he pulls up a picture of his parents on his iphone.

"Now about your mark, do you know the meaning behind it all?" Misty asks. Jaxon quickly sets his phone down.

"I know it represents my ace monster and it has nothing to do with the Crimson Dragon. That's what I know about my mark." Jaxon answers. Misty pretty much had everything she wanted to know at this point. Although she had one more question to ask.

"Well, I just have one more thing to ask, if you don't mind. Where do you think you stand with the other signers?" Jaxon was almost frozen when Misty asked. He knew that the signers were his friends, or that was what he thought.

"I mean, I've beaten three of them in one day. I'm probably more powerful than them." Jaxon basks. "I consider them an ally against the future forces of evil."

"That's great to hear. I'm glad you have allies beside you to fight against those who have bad intentions." She nods. "However, your view not only on the signers, but also your view on your mark seems a little bit sketchy."

"What do you mean sketchy? Am I wrong about them?" Jaxon asks.

"It's not that you're wrong, it's just that you still don't understand the big picture of all this." Misty reminds Jaxon. "I could tell you everything about what will happen next, however, I don't want to spoil the rest of our date with these thoughts."

"So I guess I just have to think about it, don't I?" Jaxon assures Misty.

"For right now, yes." She confirms. "However, we have a long day ahead of ourselves. Let's try our best to not cloud our thoughts on what's ahead."

"You're right. We have all the time in the world to spend together." Jaxon says in relief. "What should we do next?"

"Have you thought about getting new clothes for yourself?" Misty asks Jaxon.

"I've been thinking about it for awhile. I think today may be a good idea to finally capitalize on the opportunity." Jaxon says back.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Misty says as she jumps out of her chair and pulls Jaxon from his chair, leaving the empty table behind them.

"Jeez, you don't want to waste time don't you?" Jaxon says while being pulled by Misty as the two walked towards the nearest mall.

"With the clothing sale that's going on? Of course I don't! Now hurry up, slacker!" Misty states as she once again smiled at Jaxon, who looked like he was being hooked onto the back of a truck and being dragged along the pavement as the two enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the day.

**~LINEBREAK~**

It was thirty minutes after sunset, and the two finally headed back towards Misty's hotel after a long day. From shopping at a mall for clothes, to eating out at a fancy restaurant for dinner, Jaxon was exhausted, but was glad he went out with his date.

"I had a lot of fun today, I"m glad we chose today to go out with one another." Jaxon says as he pulls into the hotel parking lot.

"I had fun too! The most fun I've had in my entire life!" Misty responds.

"Really? You really think so?" Jaxon asks.

"Yes. I really mean it, and I thank you for that." She asserts as both Jaxon and Misty step out of the car and escort each other to the front door.

"Ok, I guess this is where we go our separate ways for tonight." Jaxon said as the two stopped in front of the hotel front doors.

"I believe so." Misty answered. "We really need to do this again sometime!"

"I'm pretty sure we will. Do you have any plans for the next time we meet?" Jaxon asks again.

"How about you take me to your place next time? That's what I'm thinking about." She answers.

"My place? I mean, my place really isn't a whole lot. But if you want to visit my place, I have no problem with that at all."

"Well, let's do it then!" Misty states. "When's the next time you're available?

"I don't know if I already told you this, but I'm pretty much available anytime." Jaxon reminds her.

"Anytime huh? Well, I don't think tomorrow would work since I'm planning on attending the premiere of 'Atlas Rising'." Misty says.

"'Atlas Rising'? I don't know how that movie is going to play out since I beat the guy featured in the movie…" Jaxon breathes in while clenching his teeth thinking about how people now would react since Jaxon is now the champion.

"I think it will still resonate well with those watching. I'm sure it will be a great film!" Misty reassures themselves.

"I bet it will. I just think people will still talk about how Jack lost the championship to some American living in New Domino City." Jaxon jokes as he thinks about how people would think about the movie.

"Well one thing is true for sure, and the truth is that I think you're going to become the new star of dueling." Misty says as he pats Jaxon's chest.

"But, am I already a star? I'm the new dueling champion for heaven's sake!" Both Jaxon and Misty giggled.

"Alright, I think it's best for me to start heading in and begin to rest, we've had such a long day haven't we?" She asks.

"We certainly did. After all of the clothes we bought and all of the delicious food we consumed, I think we're due for some deep sleep!" Jaxon agreed.

"Well, I'll see you later this week hopefully. Take care, love." Misty tells Jaxon.

"I'll see you as well. Have a good night's sleep!" Jaxon added as the two started to walk in opposite directions. However, as soon as Jaxon made his way towards his BMW, he realized he had one more thing to ask.

"Hold on a second!" Jaxon halts Misty as she walks back to Jaxon.

"Yes?" Misty wonders what Jaxon had to say before they seperate for the night. It took another few seconds for Jaxon to spew out the words.

"I just have a couple more things to say, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. Go ahead and say what you need to say." She tells Jaxon.

"I want to say thank you for having that honest conversation with me earlier today. I really appreciate the time we took to get it out of our system." He thanks Misty.

"I'm glad to hear that. You're welcome." She says.

"Oh, and one more thing," He says suddenly. "Do you want me to say it?"

"Say what?" Misty asks.

"Well, remember when you confessed your feelings earlier today?" Jaxon reminds her, in which Misty nodded. "I was wondering if you wanted me to express my feelings towards you."

"Don't worry, you can save it for the next time we visit one another. I don't want you to admit your feelings in public, since it may make you feel uncomfortable." Misty once again assures him.

"That's true. I would rather admit something in private than in public." Jaxon said.

"Perfect. Do you have anything else to ask?" Misty asks to confirm.

"Not at all. You're free to go, my beautiful model." Jaxon gestures towards the front doors.

"Very well, see you very soon, my gracious champion." Misty said as the two looked at each other once more before separating for the night.

"Oh, one more thing," Misty suddenly says while being halfway through the doorway. "I love you too!"

"Wait, I-I didn't say-" Jaxon was soon cutoff as Misty waved at him before stepping inside her hotel. Jaxon sighed in a joking matter as he made his way towards his BMW. He starts his car and proceeds to head back home for the night.

"Oh Misty, thank God that you're not like the other demanding supermodels!" He said to himself as he cruised along the highway back home.

**~LINEBREAK~**

It was soon nighttime, most people within the lower levels of New Domino City had already begun to sleep and rest for tomorrow. The long vertical pathways between homes and streets were completely empty, except for a few boxes lying along the sidewalk area. However, one pathway was not completely empty.

A person suddenly appeared from a dark area of a nearby building wearing some sort of black hooding with a cape attached along his back. The figure then suddenly stopped and pushed their right sleeve up to his upper arm, revealing some sort of tattoo figure on his right arm.

That tattoo turned out to not be a tattoo after all. As the figure lifted his right arm across his chest in front of him, the figure along his arm soon glowed into an intense bright purple color. The glowing color gave away the shape of the mark, in which the mark nearly represented a spider.

"The time has come!" The mysterious person said as he proceeded along the pathway.

In a nearby building, Yusei's group, which included Leo and Luna, were peacefully resting away, except for Yusei. Yusei was wide awake, looking at a drawing which represented the Crimson Dragon. He soon looked around the room, making sure he didn't wake up both Leo and Luna.

He slowly made his way toward a nearby rectangular window, looking out to enjoy the view.

All of a sudden, a huge jolt of pain shot through Yusei's right arm as he looked out the window. This could only mean one thing, it was his mark that was causing the pain. He looked at his right arm, which was glowing bright red.

"_My mark! I've never felt it as powerful as it is right now! It's almost as it's telling me danger is nearby!" _Yusei processed as he looked down below at the empty road below him. Seconds later, Yusei caught sight of a person who looked to be standing in front of the building with a glowing purple mark on his right arm. In fact, it was the mysterious figure that was mentioned earlier.

"_Wait, that guy down there has a mark. Maybe he's a signer!" _Yusei thought as he began to run out of the room and downstairs towards the exit to confront the mysterious person.

Yusei then opens the door and runs outside, only to see nothing but an empty street in front of him.

"_Where did he go?" _He thought. Yusei then looked to his right and saw what looked like the mysterious person. His sight of the person only lasted for a few seconds, as the person started to run away from Yusei.

"Hey!" Yusei yelled at the figure who continued to run with Yusei in hot pursuit.

The chase continued for at least another minute, before the figure ran into a near abandoned building.

"Where is he going?" Yusei asked himself as he entered the building the person ran into. Yusei slowly walked in and looked around in search of this person. Yusei then hears footsteps from behind and quickly turns around, surprised. The mysterious person appeared before Yusei's eyes, temporarily shocking him.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that! Who are you? I saw the glow on your arm, are you the fifth signer?" Yusei asked the person in front of him, who gave an evil laugh in response.

"I am a shadow drone, and if you wish to seek the truth, then my master said you must duel me for it!" The person said while activating his duel disk, ready for combat.

"Why am I not surprised? Alright buddy, you got yourself a duel!" Yusei responded as he also activated his duel disk.

"Let's do this!" Both said at the same time. Immediately after, a glowing purple ring of fire soon surrounded both duelists, encircling them with no escape route. Yusei was almost startled by the surrounding flames, he wanted to know what was the reason behind all of this.

"Who are you? And what's going on?" Yusei asked the shadow drone.

"You and I have been offered up by the light, and have been placed in the energy ring of eternal shadow. I'm afraid there's no turning back now!" The drone claims.

"What do you mean?" Yusei immediately asks.

"You'll find out."

_**Turn 1: Drone**_

_**Yusei: 4000 LP/ Drone: 4000 LP**_

"Now, I summon 'Blizzard Lizard' ( Level: 3/ ATK: 600/ DEF: 1800) in defense mode!" The drone yells as he summons out his lizard for his first move.

"Next, I place one card face down and end my turn! Your move!"

_Meanwhile…_

"_Duel disk signals detected!" _The radar states out to the young woman driving a mini sized SUV.

"Those numbers can't be right. Readings don't get that strong! What could it be?" The young lady states while cruising the highway. It wouldn't take long before she would see a glowing bright light in the same abandoned building that Yusei and the shadow drone were dueling in.

"What was that light down there? Maybe it's the machine from Yusei's duel runner again!" She tells herself as she gets off at the nearest exit to go investigate.

_**Turn 2: Yusei**_

_**Yusei: 4000 LP/ Drone: 4000 LP**_

"Ok Mr. Cloak man! I draw! First, I'm activating the 'Tuning' spell card! This card allows me to add 1 'Synchron' tuner from my deck to my hand, as long as I send the top card from my deck to the graveyard after!" Yusei exclaims while executing his move.

"Next, I summon 'Junk Synchron'( Level: 3/ ATK:1300/ DEF:500) to the field in attack mode! But that's just the beginning, see, when 'Junk Synchron' is successfully normal summoned, I can special summon a level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard in defense mode! I call out 'Speed Warrior' ( Level: 2/ ATK: 900/ DEF: 400)!"

"Now that both of these monsters are now on the field, 'Junk Synchron' can give 'Speed Warrior' a little tune up!" Yusei yells as both of his monsters rise up to the air in a line in between a few bright green rings.

"Let's rev it up! Come forth, 'Junk Warrior' ( Level: 5/ ATK: 2300/ DEF: 1300 )!" Yusei then grabs Junk Warrior from his extra deck and summons it out onto the field in front of him.

"Now, 'Junk Warrior', give that 'Blizzard Lizard' a warm satellite welcome! Go Scrap Fist!" Yusei commands his warrior. Junk Warrior soon destroys the lizard, but at somewhat of a cost.

"Heh heh heh." The drone chuckles as both start to feel the ground shake a bit.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Yusei asks.

"'Blizzard Lizard's' special ability is what's going on. You see, when 'Blizzard Lizard' is destroyed in battle. You take 300 points of direct damage!

_**Yusei: 3700 LP/ Drone: 4000 LP**_

"_Didn't see that coming! Akiza uses a similar power when she duels, but this guy is different somehow!" _Yusei thought as he looked at the ground. He soon realizes that the last battle caused the ground in front of him to cave in. He didn't know what else to think, other than if battling with this duelist causes real damage outside of the duel.

"Alright chuckles, I see how it's gonna be. I set two face downs and end my turn!" Yusei concludes, handing the turn over to the shadow drone.

_**Turn 3: Drone**_

_**Yusei: 3700 LP/ Drone: 4000 LP**_

"It's my move, I draw! First I activate the 'Call of the Haunted' trap card, which lets me summon one monster from my graveyard and summon it in attack mode! So, I'm bringing back 'Blizzard Lizard!" The drone yells as he points out to the spot his lizard would be summoned.

"With that being done, I'm activating the 'Ice Mirror' spell card from my hand! This card allows me to special summon the same type of monster from my deck that's on my field! So with the power of the 'Ice Mirror' spell card, I'm bringing out another 'Blizzard Lizard' in attack mode!" The drone says as he brings out another copy of Blizzard Lizard onto his duel disk.

"And now, I will activate this!" The drone then reveals another spell card, which caught Yusei by surprise.

"Another 'Ice Mirror' spell card?" Yusei yells.

"That's right! And with it, I special summon another 'Blizzard Lizard'!" The drone yells as once again, he summons another monster without going into his normal summon.

"Does this guy know that threes is a crowd?" Yusei asks himself.

"Well how about I release two of them to make some room for my level 8 'Dark Tuner Catastrouge' ( Level: 8/ ATK: 0/ DEF: 0 )!" Drone once again yells. The monster soon appears with a darkened appearance.

"A dark tuner?" Yusei wonders.

"Yes! Now 'Dark Tuner Catastrogue', use your power to extinguish the light by absorbing the energy of 'Blizzard Lizard'! Let the dark shadows rise!" Before they knew it, glowing white stars surrounded the lizard and eventually pounced on it. The lizard then soon transforms into an orange like outline with dark circles shooting out of its body. The lizard then disappears without a trace as the darkened stars circle around one another.

"The stars just turned dark. What was that all about?" Yusei asked.

"The light is being consumed by the shadows. Where as you combine your monsters to make them more powerful, my monsters absorb energy from one another to create negative energy!" Drone replies.

"I thought that negative energy was only a theory!" Yusei yells out.

"Think again Yusei! Negative energy is very real, and the monster I'm summoning is a negative level 5!" Drone reveals the monster he holds to Yusei.

"No way!" Yusei says.

"When the shadows are developed by even darker shadows, the curtain pulls back and reveals! A world without light! Come forth, 'Frozen Fitzgerald' ( Level: -5/ ATK: 2500/ DEF: 2500 )!"

"A Dark Synchro summon? How do I battle that?" Yusei thought.

At the other side of the building, the young woman quickly screeched her mini SUV along the curb and quickly ran inside, wanting to know what the scoop was all about.

"_Soon, the whole world will know what Godwin's trying to hide!"_

_Back in the Satellite…_

"One of our drones has captured a fly!"

"Good, and which of the signers did it catch?"

"It was Yusei, the new champion of the satellite! He dueled with great strength in the fortune cup. Let's see if his powers are enough to escape our trap!"

"Alright Mr. Mystery Man, what are you planning to do with the Satellite?" Yusei asks in a mere angry tone.

"Continue the duel, and I'll tell you everything!" Drone responds.

"Fine then.

"Boy, isn't this a relaxing drive back home?" Jaxon asks himself as he continues to cruise on the highway. However, his relaxing drive would not last long, as to the corner of his left eye, he saw a bright glow near a building in which it seemed to be abandoned.

"What the heck is that light coming from?" He asks. Suddenly, a bright red glow appears on his right arm, giving him a jolt of pain that nearly caused him to swerve into the oncoming lane. Jaxon pulled one of his arms from the wheel and grabbed the arm in an attempt to ease some of the pain.

"Ok, now my mark went from glowing blue to glowing red, what is this all about? I better check this out for myself!" Jaxon tells himself as he exits from the highway and speeds up towards the building where the light is coming from. He eventually makes it to the building, and parks alongside the curb near another car a little smaller than his car.

"_Alright, let's hope this isn't a waste of time!"_

Before he could enter, he suddenly saw what appeared to be a young woman with a simple striped long sleeve shirt with an orange vest.

"Maybe she knows where the light is coming from." Jaxon quickly follows the young lady, in hope that she would unknowingly help Jaxon reach the precise location. It would take at least another few minutes before he saw the lady stop near an entrance way and grab her camera out.

"I guess this is the location then." He slowly walks towards the young lady, while hearing some voices behind the nearby walls.

"You're no match for the darkness! I activate the effect of 'Dark Tuner Catastrogue'! When this card is used for a synchro summon, I can destroy one card on your side of the field!" Drone yells out.

"Wait, what?!" Yusei yells as Catastrogue teleports to Yusei's side and quickly blows up Junk Warrior.

"Junk Warrior No!" Yusei witnesses the destruction of his monster.

"Now, 'Frozen Fitzgerald', attack!" When this card attacks, you cannot activate spell and trap cards until the end of the damage step! You're powerless against the shadows!"

"No way!" Yusei quickly yells as he braces for the incoming attack from Frozen Fitzgerald. He then falls to the ground, nearly succumbing to the pain from the attack.

_**Yusei: 1200 LP/ Drone: 4000**_

"_In order to save the Satellite, I gotta find a way to defeat this guy!"_

"You're no match for the forces I represent! Soon like all light in the universe, you too shall fade!

"Who are you? A-are you working for Godwin!?"

"Heh, not quite." Drone responds.

_**Turn 4: Yusei**_

_**Yusei: 1200 LP/ Drone: 4000 LP**_

"I draw! And no matter who sent you here I'm going to beat you, and get the answers I want! I activate the trap card, 'Descending Lost Star', and now I can special summon a monster from my graveyard in defense mode! I'm bringing back 'Junk Warrior'!" Yusei yells as he brings out his Junk Warrior back to the field.

"But I think I'll be trading in my 'Junk Warrior' to upgrade him with something with a little more horsepower! Like my 'Turret Warrior' ( Level: 5/ ATK: 1200/ DEF: 2000 )!"

"Now 'Junk Warrior's' attack points get added to his! Let's see your darkness standup to 20,000 watts of light! 'Turret Warrior', show him what I mean! Attack!"

Turret Warrior then quickly jumps towards the ceiling of the building and fires blaster shots at Frozen Fitzgerald, quickly destroying it in the process.

Jaxon, then realized the strong aftershock of wind started to pick up and move one of the cars that was parked near the glowing purple ring of fire. The parked car then was suddenly lifted off the ground and started to head towards the young lady with her camera.

"_Oh crap, I better make a move fast!"_

Taking no chances, Jaxon immediately went after the lady, who was startled and shocked as she saw the car barrel rolling towards her way. The young lady screamed at the sight of the car but then heard a voice to her left.

"LOOK OUT!" Jaxon yelled at the top of his lungs as he grabbed and speared the woman out of the way of the car, which eventually crashed into another that was behind the two.

"Whew, that was close. Hey, are you ok?" Jaxon asks the lady who slowly stood back up on her two feet after being saved.

"I t-think so." She said as Jaxon pulled her arm, helping her get back on her feet.

"Thanks for saving me right there. I owe you one." She tells Jaxon.

"No it's ok. I just wanted to not let you get killed, that's all."

"Fair enough. So I guess you're probably wondering what this whole situation is about as well?"

"Yes, I was driving on the nearest highway when I saw a glowing light coming out of this building. I figured I should check this out since my mark on my right arm was glowing bright red as soon as I saw the light flash."

"Wait, so you also have a mark similar to Yusei?" She asks.

"I don't know if I'm a signer at all. All I know is that I have a mark that represents my ace monster and it doesn't represent the Crimson Dragon."

"Interesting. By the way, what's your name? I don't think I've seen you before."

"I'm Jaxon. New dueling champion."

"Wait, you're the same guy that defeated Jack Atlas?! Holy moly I need an interview with you soon!"

"An interview? I never knew you were a reporter for the local newspaper. But anyways, what's your name?" Jaxon asks.

"Oh, I'm Carly Carmine, news reporter for New Domino City. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Well it's nice to meet you as well." Jaxon replies. "Do you know what the heck is going on?"

"A duel, but not just some ordinary duel."

"What do you mean, not some ordinary duel?" He asks Carly.

"How about you take a look for yourself?" She responds. Jaxon very quickly, walks over towards the open section to see what the fuss was about. His eyes widen after he sees a familiar face he saw a few times before.

"Wait, is that Yusei? Who is he dueling?"

"He's dueling some strange man with some sort of dark robe on with a spider mark on his arm. To add to it, purple fire is surrounding the two. That's all I know!" Carly answered. Jaxon then takes a look at the shadow drone Yusei was dueling, when suddenly, his vision flashes before his eyes.

"_Doesn't that dude exactly look like the same dude in one of my visions during my duel with Jack?"_

_**Yusei: 1200 LP/ Drone: 3100 LP**_

"Your pathetic attempt to destroy the darkness has failed. You have done nothing but delay your inevitable defeat my poor Yusei! As long as I don't control any other monsters, Frozen Fitzgerald returns to my field whenever he is destroyed in battle!" Drone says as Frozen Fitzgerald reappears before Yusei's eyes.

"What?!" Yusei yells.

"But there's more! If any of your monsters attacked Frozen Fitzgerald, they are automatically destroyed at the end of the battle phase! After all, revenge is a dish best served ice cold!" Drone says while Fitzgerald takes out Yusei turret.

"_Man, I gotta find a way to work around that monster of his! If I don't, then the Satellite will be vulnerable to destruction and chaos!_"

"We sense your fear, it grows like waxing night! Like my monsters, the Dark Signers will always win!" Drone says.

"What? Is that who you are?" Yusei asks the drone.

"Don't be so surprised. Light and Dark are two sides of one coin. We're the same!"

"Sorry, I didn't get the membership kit!"

Amusing! But we find it as funny when your whole world is destroyed?" Drone says back.

"So that vision that I saw was true?"

"That's right! The Dark Signers possess a power that will erase the light of your mark and everything that you hope to save with it!" Drone answers.

"Not on my watch! To prove it, I activate the 'One for One' spell card! By sending one monster to my graveyard, I can summon another monster from my hand, like my 'Sonic Chick' ( Level: 1/ ATK: 300/ DEF: 300)!" Yusei yells while bringing out the little chicken to the field.

"Now, let's see what you got!" Yusei yells to the drone, who smiled back.

"Be careful what you ask for, because we are the strength of the dark shadows, born on the granite cliffs!"

"Well the only power that counts right now is the strength of your deck, and I know my cards won't let me down!"

"Brave words, especially from someone who is clinging to his very last life points! Now as you stated, why don't we just leave it to the cards in my deck and my hand!"

_**Turn 5: Drone**_

_**Yusei: 1200 LP/ Drone: 3100 LP**_

"I draw! First, I equip my Frozen Fitzgerald with 'Drain Strike'! Now, once I attack your 'Sonic Chick', all of those extra attack points are thrown away! In fact, half of those points replenish my life points, while the other half, you take damage! 'Frozen Fitzgerald', attack and wipe his mark clean!" Drone yells.

Frozen Fitzgerald then springs up and once again shoots powerful ice crystals at Yusei and Sonic Chick. While Sonic Chick is spared from being destroyed, the attack was powerful enough to send Yusei back towards the ring of fire.

Yusei then felt as if his back hit a brick wall as he fell to the ground, rocked and hurt. Drone sadistically laughs as he looks at the battered satellite shooting star.

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 4100 LP**_

"Soon, you'll be finished, along with your precious satellite! Soon, the power of the spider's web will squeeze the remainder of your life points and absorb you into the Netherworld!"

"I will not let that happen!" Yusei responds while getting back up to his feet.

"Try all you want, but in the end, the darkness will consume you and your precious home!"

"I won't let it happen!" Yusei yells once again.

"Face it, the web is already woven!" Drone says confidently.

"If you know so much about the truth, then you should know I'm gonna stop you right here, right now!"

"Ha! How could you stop me when you know you only have one round left?" Drone asks.

"Well let's finish this and see who's right!?" Yusei yells, preparing for his next move.

"No way! Yusei is going to lose this duel! There's no way that he can recover from this!" Carly shivers while looking on. She then realizes that Jaxon didn't look too scared to see Yusei down for the count.

"Uh, Jaxon? One of your friends is about to lose! Are you scared by any means!?" Carly asks.

"Don't be so sure about him losing. He'll come back from this." Jaxon responds.

"What do you mean? He only has one hundred life points and one attack will end-" Carly was suddenly cut off by the voice of Jaxon.

"Just watch and see. Trust me."

_**Turn 6: Yusei**_

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 4100 LP**_

"It's my move! And I summon 'Nitro Synchron' ( Level 2: ATK: 300/ DEF: 100 )! With him as a tuner monster on my field, I can special summon 'Quillbolt Hedgehog' ( Level: 2/ ATK: 800/ DEF: 800 ) to my field in attack mode!" Quillbolt Hedgehog soon appears onto the field for the first time in the duel.

"Next, I activate 'Graceful Revival', which allows me to special summon a level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard, I bring back 'Speed Warrior'!" Yusei exclaims.

"Now it's time to show you that I will indeed stop you from causing destruction! I tune my 'Sonic Chick', 'Speed Warrior', and my 'Quillbolt Hedgehog' with my 'Nitro Synchron', to Synchro Summon… 'Nitro Warrior' ( Level: 7/ ATK: 2800/ DEF: 1800 )!" Yusei yells while he brings out one of his powerful monsters. The roar from the machine resonates throughout the building.

"Now, since I summoned 'Nitro Warrior' with 'Nitro Synchron' I get to draw one card! Now, I'm giving my 'Nitro Warrior' a power boost! Next, I activate 'Nitro Warrior's' ability! 'Nitro Warrior' gains an extra 1000 attack points since I activated the spell card, 'Junk Barrage'!"

"Now 'Nitro Warrior', attack and destroy his 'Frozen Fitzgerald'!" Yusei commands as Nitro Warrior equipped with Junk Barrage, quickly destroys Drone's monster.

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 4100 LP**_

"Now, because I used the power of 'Junk Barrage', your life points will now take an additional hit!" Yusei points out. Nitro Warrior once again shows his fist, not to punch, but rather fire upon the defenseless shadow drone. The drone then covers up, partially shielding himself from the shots being fired at him.

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 1550 LP**_

"That doesn't faze me, because my 'Frozen Fitzgerald' will reappear and destroy you on my next turn!" Drone claims. Yusei however, begins to smile.

"Don't count on it!" Yusei suddenly yells.

"Huh?!"

"You see, my 'Nitro Warrior' has another special ability! When it destroys a monster in battle, it can switch one monster on the field into attack mode and attack again! So prepare to feel the fury of my 'Nitro Warrior's' dynamite crunch! Attack!" He yells. Nitro Warrior then once again destroys 'Nitro Warrior'.

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 1250 LP**_

"Now, with your monster destroyed, I can finish you off!" Yusei shouts while pointing towards the shadow drone as a signal for 'Nitro Warrior' to use the power of Junk Barrage upon the shadow drone for the killing blow.

"Ahhhhhhh!" The shadow drone screeches as he stumbles backwards. While watching his life points empty out.

_**Yusei: 100 LP/ Drone: 0 LP**_

_**Duel Winner: Yusei**_

As soon as the duel ends, a sudden bright light blinds both duelists, Jaxon and Carly momentarily before quickly vanishing from the building. Both Jaxon and Carly then see the shadow drone's duel disk get suddenly ejected from his arm as he falls to the ground with the purple ring of fire quickly vanishing along with the bright light.

"Told ya he would come back." Jaxon tells Carly.

"Yeah, thanks for telling me that, genius!" Carly responds back. "At least I got some footage from this duel. I have the scoop of the century!"

"How about we check up on Yusei and the other guy over there?" Jaxon asks as he runs towards the two duelists.

"I guess so. Wait for me!" Carly yells back as she catches up. At the same time, Yusei runs towards the battered shadow drone and lifts him up by his shirt collar, wanting to almost beat up the near lifeless drone.

"Wake up!" Yusei tells the drone, who regained consciousness as he was being lifted.

"Hey! You owe me some answers, got that? Start talking!" Yusei tightened his grip.

"Start talking about what?" The man said as Yusei let go of his grip of the guy. "Who are you? What am I doing here?"

"Your mind was taken over by the Dark Signers and you were dueling Yusei Fudo." Jaxon says while he and Carly approached the two.

"Jaxon? Where did you come from?" Yusei asked.

"I was watching your duel with Carly from over there near where the cars crashed from the aftershock of one of your attacks." Jaxon points to the empty section near the totalled cars.

"How did you know I was dueling in the first place?" Yusei asked Jaxon, who started to roll up his right sleeve, revealing his mark.

"This. It started glowing while I was driving home from my date with Misty. So I then followed the glowing light and here we are." He answered. Jaxon then turns his attention towards the injured former shadow drone.

"Bro, you ok?" He asks him.

"I guess…" He answered.

"Do you have any idea how you got here?"

"I have no idea. No clue." Drone says.

"So you don't know how you got here, didn't know you were dueling Yusei, and didn't know you had a spider mark on your arm?!" Carly abruptly tells the young man. Yusei then looks down at the drone's duel disk and decides to take a look at his cards. As he looks through the deck, he is left wondering where his dark monsters were at.

"_That's weird. There's monster cards, but where's his dark monsters at?" _Yusei wonders.

Suddenly, the group hears sirens in the distance. All four quickly rise to their feet and make a run towards the back of the building where the nearest exits were located.

"My car is just below me, I'll catch up with y'all at another time!" Jaxon yells as he jumps out of a window behind his car as the rest of the group continues running.

"Catch you later Jaxon!" Yusei hollered back.

Jaxon quickly pulled out his keys and started his BMW as quickly as possible. He immediately switches into drive and accelerates onto the nearest exit.

"Wow, I don't know how far Sector Security is, but in my books, that was a close one!" He says as he drives back home, while periodically looking at his rear view mirror to look for emergency lights.

Eventually, he makes it home safely, and soon resumes his normal life for an extra hour and a half before hitting the blankets. As he turned off his lamp light, he still couldn't get one person off her mind, which was Misty.

Just having the slightest thought of Misty in his head nearly made him daydream of him one day in another location with him on one knee…

"Nah, that's far down the line! I gotta say those three words to her face if I want to have a chance to make it happen eventually!" Jaxon tells himself as he looks at the pitch blackened ceiling.

"Jeez what am I thinking about right now? I gotta get some sleep, here's to more great days ahead." He tells himself once more before shutting down until the sun rises from the eastern horizon.


	12. Chapter 11: Love in the Air

**Chapter 11: Love in the Air**

It was early morning. The rays from the sun beamed upon the twins, who were looking around for Yusei. They searched around the building for what seemed to be about half an hour with no luck. Tired, they both soon head back to their original floor.

"Where could he have possibly gone off to?" Luna asked her brother. "He wouldn't just leave us here alone would he?"

"Ah who knows? He probably went for a morning snack before we woke up!" Leo answered. "Or I hope that's the case."

"If that's the case, then why is his duel runner still parked downstairs?" Luna asks.

"Why ask that sis?" Leo asks back.

"Why? Because I'm concerned! I have every right to ask you know?" Luna yells.

"You can just take a walk to the nearest snack shop without wasting fuel you know? I think you're more concerned than you should be." Leo responds.

"Grrrr! You're so hard to reason with sometimes!" Luna growls.

"At least I'm not like this all the time! Who knows, he's probably heading back here as I speak." Leo says.

Luna, moderately angered, walks around the room to calm herself. Leo on the other hand, lays back down on one of the sofas where he originally slept overnight. However, the moment wouldn't last as footsteps could be heard outside the closed door. Both turn their heads towards the doorway as the door opens.

"Yusei!" The twins scream as they run up to greet Yusei with a hug.

"Good to see you guys wide awake!" Yusei says.

"We were so worried about you!" Luna tells Yusei. "Where did you run off to?"

"Well, my mark was glowing as I was looking out the window. I soon spotted someone that was waiting for me and they took off the instant I stepped outside."

"Where did he run off to?" Leo asks.

"We both ended up in some sort of abandoned building, and there, he revealed himself. He had a mark just like all of us did, but it was also very different." Yusei told the twins. "His mark was glowing purple and resembled a spider."

"Was he a signer by any chance?" Leo asked again.

"Far from it, he claimed he was a servent of the darkness." Yusei answered.

"A servant of the darkness?" Luna asked. "Did he say who he was working for?"

"I do remember him saying something about the 'Dark Signers', I'm assuming he was sent by them in an attempt to destroy me I guess." Yusei said as he walked towards the same window he looked out last night.

"Anyways, you kiddos may want to head back to your penthouse whenever you can." Yusei tells the twins. "I got some company heading my way."

"Who's coming after you?" Leo asks.

"Officer Trudge. My former nemesis." Yusei said back.

"Wait, are they gonna take you back to Sector Security?!" Leo asks worryingly.

"No, they're taking me to someone I need answers from." Yusei answers. "I need answers, especially from Director Godwin."

"Godwin? Do you mean that tall white haired guy?" Luna asks Yusei.

"Yea. Trudge and his squad are going to take me to Godwin's facility. I need answers from him, especially about these "Dark Signers" that the guy I dueled mentioned." Yusei said as he could hear loud engine sounds from the distance.

"Speaking of which, here comes Trudge's squad." Yusei says as he sees a group of runner vehicles with flashing red and blue lights come down the pathway below Yusei. Sector Security had arrived.

The runners then parked below Yusei's location, with a few officers stepping out of their vehicles awaiting Yusei's appearance. The view from above was almost completely blinded by the flashing red and blue lights on the street.

Before Yusei could even move, he saw Officer Trudge appear in his sites with a megaphone in his hand.

"Well guys, I think I should start heading down right now. I don't think he is a patient officer to deal with." Yusei adds as he makes his way down towards the downstairs doors, with Leo and Luna following right after him.

Yusei opens the door exposing himself to the brightness of the lights repeatedly flashing across the street. He took a moment to shield his eyes while figuring out where Trudge was located. He then stepped forward, inching closer to Sector Security

"Alright Yusei Fudo, I spent enough time waiting for you to wake up! Get in and let's go!" Trudge yelled out in his megaphone.

"Sure, but only if you let me take Leo and Luna with you." Yusei responded.

"Leo and Luna? Who are they?" Trudge asked.

"They're a couple of twins who I stumbled upon after our last confrontation, where of course, you failed to capture me again." Yusei answered back as Trudge was slightly angered, but quickly calmed himself down.

"Hrumph, fine, I'll accept your little request. But don't expect me to be your little puppet next time!" Trudge says.

"It wasn't a request, it was a demand." Yusei said back.

"Whatever. Hey kiddos! You might wanna grab anything you left behind cause we're taking you back to your 'penthouse'!" Trudge exclaimed at Leo and Luna who were at the doorway, with their duel disks and blankets they slept with overnight.

"You got everything don't you Luna?" Leo asks her sister.

"Of course I do Leo, you know I'm more responsible than you right?" Luna joked, surprising Leo.

"Hey you just watch what you're saying!" Leo yelled back at Luna, who giggled and made her way towards a SUV that Sector Security brought. Leo very shortly followed after her.

Both Yusei, Leo and Luna eventually got inside the van, ready to head towards their destination when another officer alerted Yusei about his duel runner still parked downstairs.

"Uh Yusei? You want us to take care of your duel runner? We won't impound it!" The officer said.

"No, it'll be fine. Trust me, I parked it somewhere that nobody else will find it. Besides, I'm coming back for it after my discussion with Godwin. I don't need you officers touching it." Yusei responded as the officer acknowledged him and moved along with his duty.

"Prepare yourselves, we're heading out of here as soon as possible. So fasten your seatbelts kiddos." Trudge said as the group in the van prepared for the short journey. Leo and Luna didn't expect much out of their trip, it was a trip back home as usual.

Yusei remained calm and quiet as he awaited the van to depart from the building. His thoughts were mostly about how he would give out his thoughts to Godwin and how he would respond. But even so, he also had one other thought about someone else. Someone he knew that had to be kept and eye on…

**WARNING: The following OC x Misty content contains slight adult content. For cautionary reasons, if you're sensitive to slight exposure, I recommend you skip to the next linebreak of the chapter. You have been warned!**

_One night later…_

"So much for clear skies!" Jaxon said to himself as he stepped out of the shower and into the living room after a long day of friendly duels with young fans. The news was on Jaxon's flat screen TV, revealing a huge area of thunderstorms starting to pile on New Domino City.

"_I should probably get into something more comfortable rather than just sit here covered in a wet towel." _He thought as he quickly got changed into a simple white T-shirt and grey sweatpants and a robe to help with relaxation. As soon as he stepped out of his room with his new attire, he could hear the hard downpour of rain pelting on the roof of his house.

"Well that didn't take too long." He said to himself as he pushed himself against the sofa and focused his eyes on the TV. He then checked the battery on his phone to make sure the battery was at full capacity.

"Thank God for Low Power mode." He once again said to himself as the news continued to direct attention to the powerful storm upon the city. He begins to relax upon the sofa by laying down with his entire body covering the entire length of the seating area.

As he lied down on the sofa, he closed his eyes and began to relax. The long day of dueling his fans before the storms arrived seemed to be a little much for the champion. He needed his rest just like everyone else at this time. The constant sound of rain and the distant roar of thunder miles away instead of bothering, only helped Jaxon fall into a needed deep sleep.

"I definitely… need… a nap…" Jaxon mumbled with his eyes closed.

"**DING DONG!"**

"Baah!" Jaxon gasped out as the sudden shock caused him to roll off the sofa and land face first on the ground.

"Aww c'mon! I was just about to have the greatest nap ever!" Jaxon slurred in a muggy tone as he stood up and walked towards the front door.

"I just hope it's not a delivery man who mistook my addre-" Jaxon halted his words as soon as he saw the person through the peekhole on his door. He immediately unlocked the front door and opened it, revealing a wet, and drenched Misty Tredwell.

"Hello." She said to Jaxon, who continued to look at Misty in a confused state. He didn't expect Misty to show up at his front door, especially in the middle of a thunderstorm.

"Is it ok if I…?" Misty attempted to finish asking but Jaxon immediately moved out of the way and quickly signaled her to enter his house. Jaxon then quickly shut the front door as a way to not let too much rain get inside his home after letting Misty walk inside.

"Look, I'm so, so sorry for bothering you during this time!" She quickly speaks out. "If this is not the time for you, I can head back if you want me to."

"No no no, it's cool." Jaxon quickly reminded her. "Here, let me take your coat off. I don't want you to feel too warm inside my home."

"Oh, you don't need to, I can take it off myself." Misty replied. While I don't want to be too warm, I also don't want you to get wet."

"That's true. Might as well take it off yourself." Jaxon nodded as he made his way towards his kitchen where he grabbed a couple of mugs and switched on a tea maker he recently purchased off the internet. Misty in the meantime, hangs her drenched coat on a standing hanger near the front door.

"Want me to make some tea for you?" Jaxon asked her.

"Sure! Any flavor will do nicely my dear." Misty says back.

"Oh, before you go make that tea, I also have something to ask you." Misty slowly mumbled as Jaxon turned around quickly to hear what she wanted to ask.

"Go ahead. Ask away." Jaxon replied.

"You probably never expected me to show up at your house like this, didn't you?" Misty hesitatingly asked Jaxon.

"Not really if I'm honest, but it's ok because I get to see you again like we promised about two days ago!" Jaxon responds.

"Yes, we did promise each other that we would see each other again this week. However, that really wasn't what I wanted to ask." Misty said as she took a deep breath.

"I got off the phone with my manager before I arrived here, I told him that I was checking out of my hotel for the rest of the night. I was wondering if you are ok with me spending the night with you?" Misty asked while gritting her teeth.

"You want to spend the night? With me?" Jaxon asked as Misty nodded. "Yeah, I have no problem with you staying."

"Thanks dear. I really appreciate it!" Misty tells Jaxon. "Do you know where I can set my belongings at?"

"Beside the TV is perfectly fine." Jaxon points at the TV at the other side of the room. "If you also brought extra clothes with you, I have an open restroom down the hall where you can change into something dry."

"Yeah, I'm probably going to go do that. I don't want to soak your furniture too much." Misty quickly rises up from the sofa and grabs her extra clothes from one of her bags.

"Do you happen to have a shower in the restroom down there?" She asks Jaxon.

"Yeah. Here let me show you the way." Jaxon guides Misty through the hallway on the upper floor, leading to a set of doors at the end. He then opens the nearest door to his left, revealing a stack of towels.

"Are you planning on showering before you change?" Jaxon asks Misty.

"Yes, considering that I don't want to become sick overnight due to the rainstorm. I might as well." Misty answered.

"Good call." Jaxon then quickly grabs a couple towels from the closet. "Here, take these towels for you to dry yourself. I'll get the tea ready while you're in there."

"Sounds great! I'll see you when I get done!" Misty proceeds to the restroom to prepare herself, when suddenly she hears Jaxon running down the hallway.

"Wait! You should also take this robe if you want it." Jaxon says.

"What is this robe for?" She asks Jaxon.

"I don't know for sure. I wear one just to feel comfortable and warm after a shower. I think you would feel just the same after your shower." He responds.

"Ok then. I'll gladly use it after my shower!" Misty then closes the door in front of her, leaving Jaxon some time to set up the tea maker.

After what seemed to be nearly an hour, Misty finally steps out of the restroom and walks into the kitchen; her body covered up in the black robe that Jaxon gave her.

"I knew that robe would look beautiful on you, since it matches your dark black hair color." Jaxon said to Misty.

"Hehe, I appreciate the heartwarming compliment." Says Misty as she walks into the living room with the news coverage still airing. Shortly after, Jaxon follows Misty into the living room with a couple cups of tea in his hands.

"I didn't know which flavor you like, so I made you original just to be safe. Hopefully you'll like it." Jaxon tells Misty as he sets the cups among the cup holders on the table in front of the two.

"Why thank you very much, I hope I like it as well." She says back before taking a sip of her tea.

"So how's the tea?" He asks her. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do! It actually tastes better than what I normally get at any restaurant I go eat out at." Misty answers.

"I think you're saying that just to make me feel happy." Jaxon hesitates. "I mean, the tea maker isn't that valuable."

"No I'm serious! I genuinely like it!" Misty exaggerates. She immediately takes a bigger sip of her tea that Jaxon made for her.

"See? If I didn't like it, I would either not have taken another drink or would have spat it now right after." She reminds Jaxon, who looked convinced after hearing from her.

"Fair enough. I'm glad you like it!" Jaxon tells Misty as she scoots closer to him, causing Jaxon to slightly blush.

"Aww, you're going red again. Hehehe!" Misty loudly giggled. "I love it when I make you blush. It let's me know that you like it when I'm this close to you."

"Of course I like it! It just feels weird for some reason." He mumbles under his breath.

"What makes it feel weird? Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" She asks. "You can always let me know at any time if you feel uncomfortable."

"No no, it's not that. You're not doing anything wrong." Jaxon answers. "It's just that knowing you're one of the most popular models, and yet you choose a guy like me? I just feel like I'm out of your league."

"Don't say that! That's not true at all!" Misty alerts Jaxon. "You may not have the greatest looks, the greatest body physique, but you are mature and you have a heart. That is what counts in my book!"

"I'm glad you see me that way." He says while looking down. "I'm just not confident in myself."

"What do you mean you're not confident in yourself?" She asks.

"I'm just not confident that I'll be the perfect guy for you in the long run." Jaxon responds. "I think people like me are going to have a huge disadvantage when we reach a certain age in our lives. I'm worried about my future after dueling."

"You don't need to worry about your future right now. You need to focus on the present; what's happening right now." She reminds him as she puts her hands on Jaxon's shoulders. "Besides, I guarantee you that I'll be there at your side when the time comes."

"I sure hope so." Jaxon replies after. "Maybe I'm just too worried at points where I shouldn't be worried. Then again, because of my ASD diagnosis, it's tough to not be worried with things such as anxiety being a part of my life."

"Like I said earlier, I'll be there at your side throughout all of this." She reminds him. "Remember a few days ago when we went out to that cafe on our date?"

"Yes I do." Jaxon nods.

"I remember you telling me that you will do whatever it takes to be the best guy you can be for me. Well, I'm here to tell you that I will be the best woman I can be for you." Misty asserts Jaxon as she leans closer towards his face. Knowing what happened during the first encounter between the two, Jaxon knew he had to say something to halt her.

"Hey Misty, I think you're a bit too close." Jaxon quickly reminds her, causing Misty to quickly pull herself back.

"Sorry about that. I just got a little carried away for a second." She stutters as she begins to heavily blush just like Jaxon did earlier.

"Actually, I shouldn't have said that." Jaxon suddenly spews out. "I don't know why I felt like I needed to back you away."

"What do you mean you shouldn't have said that?" She asks.

"I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but, I actually like it when we're close to each other." Jaxon slowly but steadily words out. Knowing he got close to Misty before, he didn't want to act like some sort of child in an adult body.

"Ooooh, so you do like being close to your girl, don't you?" Misty quietly whispers.

"I mean, we've been close to each other before, haven't we?" Jaxon tells her.

"Indeed we have. I'm pretty sure you loved every single second of it. I hope." Misty says as she once again crawled closer to Jaxon. This time, Jaxon not blushing intensely, however still blushing at a certain level.

"I hope you are ok with this, but is it ok if I rest on your chest?" She asks.

"Um, yeah, I'm ok with that." Jaxon quickly repositions himself as to have Misty be as comfortable as possible. Misty then slowly but steadily crawls over Jaxon's hips and lower chest before finally lowering herself on Jaxon's chest. She then rests her head along the left side of Jaxon's neck, causing him to tingle slightly.

"You like this, don't you?" Misty asks, nuzzling on Jaxon's neck.

"I admit, this feels pretty good. I never felt anything like this before." He struggled to say. He couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his neck being pressed by Misty's soft lips.

"If I had to choose a place I wanted to be at, and if time were to stop completely, It would be right here. In your arms, in your presence, safe and loved." She whispers to the left ear of Jaxon. Jaxon could feel the chills going through his heart, a feeling that was filled with happiness, rather than fear and timidness.

"I would… be here with you as well." Jaxon tells her as she raised her head once again, locking each other's blue crystal eyes. Jaxon then sees a small little band of water starting to fill the eyes of the young model. He steadily wiped her tears to clear her vision.

"You ok Misty?" Jaxon asked.

"Yes. I'm ok. I'm just glad that I'm spending time with the one I love." Misty states. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. Me being all alone in my hotel, and not having you in my company, I just couldn't help but come over to see you!"

"I totally understand." He says while beginning to stroke Misty's long black hair. "But you know, you could have called me about how you were feeling. Why didn't you call?"

"Remember that we promised the next time we visited each other would be at your place? Well, I wanted to hold my end of the bargain." She reminds him. While Jaxon knew that he made that promise, he knew that Misty's well being was more important than just one place among millions on Earth.

"I'm just gonna say this straight up, you're more important than a meaningless promise. I would rather be the one to get wet than you. I should have known about your whole situation earlier, and I apologize for that, and if what I said sounded mean by any chance." He looked into her eyes once again, which were overflowing with more tears.

"No, it's my fault! I didn't tell you how I was feeling ahead of time. I also came here by surprise and totally caught you off guard!" She cries out as Jaxon softly pulls her close, comforting her.

"Just don't worry about it right now, both of us are here now." He tells Misty. "But if you feel like you need me with you, don't be afraid to call me. Like I said a couple days ago, I want to be the light in your life, and I want to be there by your side when you feel down. I don't want you to go through anymore pain, because you already have been through enough."

"Ok, I'll make sure next time." Misty shortly after raises herself up from Jaxon's chest, letting out a huge yawn.

"I'm getting pretty tired, isn't your bedtime coming up?" Misty asks.

"Pretty close, we might as well head to bed for the night to feel well rested for the morning." Jaxon answers as the two rise from the sofa. Jaxon quickly turns off the tv and looks for Misty's wet clothes that got wet from the rainstorm earlier.

"Hey Misty, do you know where you put your wet clothes at? I can do the laundry early tomorrow morning for you." He asks Misty.

"Here they are. If that basket beside the machine is for clothes, you can put them there." She tells him as she hands him her wet clothes.

My bedroom is to the left down the hallway, feel free to change in whatever that makes you comfortable." He tells her before she enters the bedroom. Giving the thumbs up, she proceeds along.

"_Drat, I forgot to bring pajamas! I hope he doesn't mind seeing me in my underwear…" _She thought as she unhooks her robe causing it to fall to the ground, exposing most of her body. She kept thinking about how tonight would end up, but those thoughts would completely change course.

Jaxon soon walks into the bedroom with his slightly widened eyes glued onto Misty, revealing her underwear matching the color of her black hair. Misty in response blushed heavily looking at the love of her life.

"Oh! Jaxon! I'm s- so sorry, I forgot to bring pajamas because I was in such a hurry and I don't want to sleep without anything on-" Misty was interrupted by Jaxon, who closed his eyes and gathered himself.

"It's ok. I don't mind what you wear, as long as your 'things' are covered." Jaxon stutters as he continues to look at Misty.

"Whew, thanks love. I'm glad you understand." She says as both quickly pull the sheets and blankets from one end of the bed to near the middle to make room for the two to slide in. Jaxon quickly turns out the lights just as he did in the living room and pulls himself into bed with Misty quickly doing the same on the other side.

"This is pretty comfortable I must say. You really did buy a great bed to sleep on." She whispers as she scoots closer to Jaxon.

"Eh, I just wanted a bigger bed that's all. But hey, I'm glad you think it's comfortable." He then pulls the blankets back, which quickly warmed up both Jaxon and Misty within seconds.

"Mind if we cuddle with one another?" Misty abruptly asks. Not having much of a choice, Jaxon nodded in acceptance.

"Sure. I don't mind. I mean, there's a first for everything right?" The two quickly move closer to one another, eventually locking each other with their arms wrapped around one another.

A few minutes went by as the two continued to relax in each other's presence. Misty proceeded to stroke her hands up and down along Jaxon's back, giving him a sense of tingles throughout the rest of his body.

"Does it feel good?" Misty whispers into Jaxon's ear.

"Actually, it does feel good after all." He answered with his eyes beginning to close on him. "This is going way better than we anticipated, didn't we?"

"Indeed. I'm glad you're enjoying it, because I'm enjoying it too!" She continues to rub Jaxon's back, but not before asking Jaxon for a slight favor.

"While I continue to rub your back, how about you do the same and rub my back?" She asks him.

"If that's what you want, I'll give to you." He slowly but steadily moves his hands up and down along Misty's back.

"Make sure to not unhook my bra." Misty jokes at him, nearly giggling herself to sleep.

"Hehehe, very funny Misty, very funny." He continues rubbing Misty's back at a slow pace. Misty then suddenly starts to let out a few moans, causing Jaxon to slow the pace even more.

"_Why is she moaning? Is she really liking this? Or is she just messing with me?" _He processed. Misty's moans suddenly start to gradually get louder, causing Jaxon to feel uneasy with himself. He quickly pulled his hands away in order for her moaning to stop, in which Misty laughed afterwards.

"Hehe, sorry about that. I got carried away by the fact that being rubbed by you just felt so good. I couldn't resist showing my appreciation." She told Jaxon, who looked at her curiously.

"You moaning was showing your appreciation? To me, that just sounds weird." He asserts. "Then again, maybe a guy like me isn't just used to cuddling with someone I love."

"Don't worry, it's fine. It's my fault for creeping you out for a moment." She apologized to him, who patted her on the back afterwards.

"Here, let's drift to sleep for right now. We have a busy day tomorrow." She reminds Jaxon, who looked confused. He didn't know any plans for tomorrow since he didn't plan on doing anything that was required of him, other than dueling for income.

"Plans? What do you mean?" Jaxon asks.

"I want us to meet at our hotel tomorrow evening. I need your help with something." She tones into a more serious but calm tone. "It's very important that we keep this specific plan to ourselves. You can remind your 'friends' on what is going to happen, but don't tell them what you and I are planning to do. Got it?"

"I hear you. What's the plan? Spit it out." Jaxon tells her.

"Remember the girl you defeated back in the fortune cup?" Misty says.

"Akiza? Yea I do. What's up with her?" Jaxon asks back.

"Well, after my brother was killed, Sector Security did an investigation on what happened and totalled the amount of casualties as a result of her actions." Misty tells him, nearly shocking Jaxon. He didn't know ahead of time that Akiza was most likely the main perpetrator in the cause of Tobi's death and among others.

"Wait, you're telling me that your brother was killed by Akiza?!" Jaxon whispered loudly.

"Yes. I believe he was. The thing is, after Sector Security completed their investigation, they concluded that no casualties were reported. However, there's something behind the scenes I want to uncover." Misty tells Jaxon, who looked completely engaged into what she had to say.

"I believe that Sector Security's investigation was compromised and fabricated by Akiza's group, called the Arcadia Movement. A movement that 'helps' those who felt abandoned by their families by simply joining their cause." Misty concludes. Jaxon thinks back to the Fortune Cup after his duel with Akiza. He realizes that a man comforted Akiza after her defeat, causing Jaxon to reveal to Misty, the possible person of interest.

"Sayer. That's the guy!" Jaxon loudly whispers. "I think he's the one that may be behind all of this. I just have a strong feeling."

"Now we are getting somewhere. Now even though I have foreseen great success ahead of us, I'll tell you more about the plan tomorrow morning after you wake up." Misty reminds him. "But for right now, we should get to sleep and rest."

"Agreed." Jaxon answers as the two once again cuddle close to one another. Misty then places both of her arms at both sides of Jaxon's neck.

"Oh, and one more thing." Misty says to Jaxon who started to open his eyes.

"What is it M-" Jaxon suddenly felt something soft against his lips. He couldn't believe what was happening right in front of him, she was giving him a kiss.

"_Wow, I didn't know a first kiss would feel so… relaxing." _He thought as the two continued kissing one another.

It felt like a long minute before Misty's lips finally broke their grasp, leaving a grin across her face after seeing her boyfriend's reaction. Jaxon still couldn't believe what just happened; a first kiss used to only be a dream for him, but Misty turned into a reality within a matter of seconds.

"I love you." Misty softly whispered.

"I... love you too." Jaxon said back as the two shared one final kiss before drifting off to sleep for the night.

_Earlier in the day…_

A huge shock of lightning suddenly struck the wooden construct, destroying it immediately. Across from it stood Akiza, who started to breathe heavily after finishing her attack. Sayer who looked from above, looked concerned about her favorite psychic duelist.

"Sir, her powers are below average for some reason!" Sayer's bodyguard and scientist said.

"I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just holding back, trying not to destroy the whole place." Sayer concluded.

"But sir, she summoned her Black Rose Dragon everytime she faced those constructs, and her power is still not up to standards!" The scientist responded. "There has to be something wrong with her powers!"

"Well, what do you think is the cause?" Sayer asked.

"It most likely started since her defeat to Jaxon, the Fortune Cup champion. Ever since then, it almost felt as if some of her powers abandoned her all together!"

"Hmm. Let me check on her. Keep doing your work up here." Sayer said as he proceeded towards the elevator. Seconds later, he reached the battle floor, where Akiza stood completely still holding her right arm.

"Akiza, how are you feeling?" Sayer asks Akiza.

"I'm feeling fine Sayer, no need to be concerned about me." Akiza answers. However, Sayer wasn't buying it.

"Don't be afraid to hide your feelings Akiza. Tell me the truth, how are you feeling?" Sayer asks once again.

"Sayer, I already told you. I'm feeling fine." Akiza responds in a slightly louder tone.

"Hmm. You may think you're fine, but I think you're rather drained and hesitant." Sayer tells her. "Me and a scientist upstairs have been monitoring your performances here today, and it seems your powers are not up to our standards today. I think something may be affecting you."

"Really?" Akiza asks.

"Tell me, do you remember the last opponent you faced before today?" Sayer reminds Akiza, who suddenly thought of Jaxon, who was the person that last beat her in the past tournament.

"Jaxon…" Akiza said with her eyes widened.

"I see. Here, come with me. Let's have a little chat back upstairs." Sayer guides Akiza to the elevator back to the upper floor. The elevator then rises to the upper floor, opening its doors shortly after.

"Fellow scientist, me and Akiza are going to take a little walk around the area if you don't mind." He reminds his scientist as the two proceed without any hesitation.

"So I wanted to have a chat with you about something Akiza. I hope you don't mind." He tells Akiza.

"Of course I don't mind. What do you have to tell me?" She asks.

"Ever since your defeat to Jaxon, your powers have seemed to take a huge hit. I think there may be something wrong with you that you don't know." Sayer says.

"Something's wrong with me?" Akiza anxiously asks.

"While we believe that for right now it's nothing major, I have a feeling that overtime, your powers will be eventually too weak for the Arcadia Movement to accept. I want to make sure that doesn't happen." He asserts his stance to Akiza, who nodded.

"I understand Sayer, is there any way I can obtain the powers I supposedly lost?" Akiza asks.

"It's actually not that your powers are completely lost, it's the fact that you are holding back on your opponents. Which is something that is completely unrealistic of you." Sayer reminds Akiza of his position on the whole situation.

"I'm… sorry Sayer. I just can't stop thinking about my last duel with Jaxon. He pushed me to my limits, and somehow it wasn't enough to win me the duel." Akiza says. "I don't know what I can do to push myself to avenge that loss."

"It's not about avenging your loss, it's about improving for the movement." He quickly tells her as they reach the balcony view within the building. "The loss will only make you stronger not only as a duelist, but as a person."

"But how can it help me become a better person when everyone just runs away everytime they see me?" Akiza asks.

"Those people are completely misunderstanding your objective. That's why you're a member of the Arcadia Movement, because you have a family here. We understand your pain and fear, and we want to help you with all of those." Sayer tells Akiza. "Do you trust us Akiza?"

"Yes, I trust you Sayer." Akiza says. "I will do whatever it takes to improve as a duelist. Not only for myself, but for the movement."

"Excellent. Feel free to take as much time as you want out here, and when you're ready, come back and hold nothing back against your construct opponents." Sayer leaves Akiza alone in the open to gather her thoughts. As she walked around alone, she couldn't stop thinking not only about Jaxon, a few others.

"_Why do I feel weaker than normal? Did Jaxon really tell the truth about my mark? Is Sayer really trustworthy? No, I can't let these thoughts affect me. Sayer was the sole reason I'm here. I can't abandon him, he is all I have for right now…" _Akiza thought as she continued to walk on her own, not knowing what would be in store the next day...


	13. Chapter 12: Investigation and Death

**Chapter 12: From Investigation to Death**

A fully woken Yusei Fudo slowly knocks on the door to Godwin's office. A few seconds would pass by before Godwin's voice echoed throughout the short corridor, signaling him to come in.

He opens the door as slow as a soldier scouting for enemies possibly hiding in a corner. He sees Godwin looking right at him, who waited a bit for his arrival. Although not looking displeased, Godwin had a concerned look upon his face about what he had to discuss with Yusei.

"Please, come on in Yusei. I assure you that this won't last very long." Godwin says.

"I hope so." Yusei says bluntly. He then takes a seat in a recliner in front of Godwin's desk, looking around Godwin's office.

"So Godwin invited you as well, didn't he?" A voice suddenly speaks out to Yusei from his right.

Startled by the sudden voice, he quickly looks to his right, revealing a familiar face once again. He knew who he was, but had no idea why he was also invited as he thought the discussion was between him and Godwin only.

"Jack?" Says Yusei with a surprised look on his face.

"Don't look so surprised, Yusei." Jack stated. "It is me, your rival. I also came here by invitation from Godwin. He claimed that having both of us here would be beneficial to learning about what has been happening as of recently.

"That is true, Jack. I believe that the information I'm about to reveal to you two will be something that you should know regarding what's soon to come in your adventures." Godwin speaks out as Yusei and Jack turn their attention to the director.

"Ok then, so what's the information?" Yusei asks.

"I will tell you shortly. However, first we must talk about a specific location within the continent of South America." Godwin tells the two duelists, who looked confused after what Godwin had to say.

"South America, are you trying to give us a history lesson? Because we're not in a college setting right now!" Jack slightly yells out.

"Indeed I am; let me take you to the country of Peru, the home of the Nazca Lines." Godwin then reveals pictures of a series of drawings in the Nazca Desert, which led Yusei and Jack to lean in closer to the pictures.

"What are these figures?" Yusei asked.

"They are ancient drawings that were drawn out by the peoples of the Nazca culture. These drawings were mostly drawn out between 1 and 700 A.D. The mystery behind these drawings remains a mystery to this day." Godwin reveals. He then brings out a handful of specific Nazca drawing pictures taken from an overhead flight of the desert.

"Out of the hundreds of drawings from the Nazca Desert, these five drawings are the most important to keep in mind." Godwin reminds Yusei and Jack.

"And why's that? Will there be a pop quiz later?" Jack blunts.

"Very funny of you, Jack." Godwin chuckles. "I'll tell you the lore behind these marks after I tell you two what these drawings are."

"The first is the mark of the monkey, second is the mark of the hummingbird, the third is the mark of the lizard, the fourth is the mark of the humanoid, and the fifth and final mark is the mark of the spider." He tells the two.

Yusei immediately takes a look at the spider drawing, which looked familiar going back to his duel with the shadow drone the night before. The shadow drone he faced had the near exact figure of the spider drawing along his right arm.

"Wait, I've seen that spider mark before!" Yusei suddenly leaps out of his chair. "That guy I faced had the mark of the spider along his arm!"

"What the heck are you talking about?" Jack asked him. "When did you see this on this guy's arm? And why did I not come to your aid?"

"It was last night, I looked out the top floor window while Leo and Luna were asleep. All of a sudden I looked down, and a guy in a dark robe was standing outside of the building." Yusei explained to Jack. "I then walked outside, and he then immediately started running away. I eventually chased him down to this abandoned building where we ended up dueling with each other."

"Well, are you going to answer my other question Yusei?" Jack told him.

"It wouldn't matter to you anyway, Jack." Yusei responded. "He summoned a circle of purple flames, surrounding us two. So if you tried to interfere, you would either get pushed back, or get burned."

"Grrr! I swear when I see that guy that you're talking about, I'll kick his ass so hard he'll be launched to the other side of the globe and land in the middle of Anfield Stadium!" Jack screamed as he stood up in anger.

"Now now Jack, there's no reason to be angry. Your friend doesn't look busted up as far as I'm concerned. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure it was an easy duel for him, wouldn't you agree Yusei?" Says the director. Jack looked over to Yusei who was still thinking about his duel last night.

"Jack, you don't need to worry about me. I already kicked his ass for you." Yusei reminded the angered Jack Atlas. "He's no longer controlled anyways, so if you were to confront him at some point, he wouldn't remember a damn thing about what happened at all."

Jack then slowly lowers himself back to his recliner, looking at Yusei awkwardly.

"My sincere apologies, Director, I was wrong for bursting out like that." Jack tells Godwin, who looked like he didn't care.

"I understand your anger Jack, you always want to be there for your friends. I wish I was there for my brother before it was eventually too late."

"Your brother?" Yusei asked. "Who was your brother?"

"More on that shortly, but I must first tell you why these marks I have shown to you two are important in the adventures to come." He would tell the two. Yusei and Jack quickly leaned forward, engaged with the eyes of the director, ready to receive the very important information about what was the lore behind these marks.

"I show you these marks to you two, because these marks belong to a group called the 'Dark Signers'. A dangerous group of duelists that promise to rule the world with their 'Earthbound Immortals'."

"Dark Signers?" Jack asked.

"I've heard of that name before! The same guy I dueled last night mentioned the name and the intentions of what this group would do if anyone powerful enough wouldn't stop them in their tracks!" Yusei said. "How did you obtain this information?"

"I obtained all of this from my brother, Roman." Godwin stated.

"Roman?" Jack asked. "What does he have to do with all of this?"

"It's because he is one of the five members of the Dark Signers, and happens to be the leader." Godwin answered.

"What?!" Yusei and Jack blurt out, surprised. "How is that possible?"

"This story goes back just before you were born, Yusei." Godwin assured. "My brother and I used to do research with one another upon the former Ener-D reactor built by your late parents.

"The Ener-D reactor?" Yusei reacted surprisingly.

"Yes. Everything was going smoothly as expected until that one fateful day." Godwin thinks back. "Your father that day discovered that the entire energy system was starting to become unstable and took his thoughts to the sponsors. My brother however, wanted to continue research upon the reactor, so he ended up traveling to the Nazca Lines."

"Why did he go there in the first place?" Jack asked.

"He was so desperate due to the amount of potential of the reactor. Also due to the natural disasters that were hitting the city, he wanted to search for similar instances all over the world." Godwin concludes.

"What does this have to do with him being a Dark Signer? What happened to him afterwards?" Yusei asked curiously.

"It all seemed as if the trip to the Nazca Lines affected him in a negative way. One day after his trip, I caught a glimpse of him looking down the reactor. He claimed that what he saw was the battle between the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals." Godwin stated to the two.

Both Yusei and Jack gasped at the sudden fact said by Godwin. It seemed everything was starting to click everytime Godwin would continue on with his side of the story.

"As soon as he turned around, I saw a purple spider mark and a dragon head mark on his arm, looking like a battle over control was taking place upon his skin." He continued. "He then suddenly showed 4 Synchro monster cards, which were 'Stardust Dragon', 'Red Dragon Archfiend', 'Black Rose Dragon', and 'Ancient Fairy Dragon'."

"WHAT?!" Yusei and Jack screamed at the top of their lungs. Jack nearly fell out of his recliner reacting to the news.

"So you're telling me that the dragons we saw at the Fortune Cup were in possession of a Dark Signer?! I knew there was a reason why you gathered all of us to fight in that tournament! I sensed it from the beginning! " Jack stood up in anger aftering reacting.

"Relax Jack! The outcome itself wasn't a setup. Maybe there's a reason why he gathered all of us signers for a reason." Yusei calmed Jack down as he sat back down in his recliner, attempting to relax himself. Yusei then thought about Jaxon for a second; knowing that his ace monster was a Ritual monster, doubt started to suddenly cloud his thought of him as a true signer, even though Jaxon claims to be one.

"Moving on, Dr. Fudo eventually arrived on scene and fought over the cards. He would snag up 3 of them, leaving 'Ancient Fairy Dragon' behind while fleeing Roman's henchmen." Godwin would state as he stood up out of his chair looking like he was ready to give out a huge speech to a huge crowd.

"Wait, Ancient Fairy Dragon was one monster that I didn't recognize being summoned during the tournament! Do you know what happened to that card?" Yusei asked Godwin.

"It's whereabouts are currently unknown at this point from my perspective. I believe one of Roman's personal henchmen is in possession of the card. No one truly knows at this point." Godwin states.

"It was only a matter of time, but Roman was overcome by the spider mark. In an attempt to become one with the darkness, he activated and overloaded the reactor. I immediately took shelter, not wanting to waste anymore time and better my chances of survival. The reactor soon blew up, taking my brother's good side with him." He said as he nearly sheds a tear.

"He was eventually revived as a Dark Signer by 'Uru', one of the Earthbound Immortals. His base is located at the old reactor in the Satellite Sector, where he looks to recruit members to his cause." He pointed out a picture he showed to Yusei and Jack.

"I always wondered why there was a huge hole everytime I passed through that area! I didn't know there were DARK SIGNERS within that thing!" Yusei exclaimed.

"Well, you do now. I would advise you two to tread with tremendous caution when entering the area. I've heard that spies scout the area for potential enemies and even recruits, so think before you attempt to strike." Godwin asserts the two. Jack then stands up again, brushing off the threat from Godwin.

"Oh please, I'm the master of faster! Your brother and these 'Dark Signers' are no match for me and Yusei!" Jack points at Godwin, causing Yusei to calm him down like he did earlier.

"Jack! Stop it for crying out loud!" He yelled as Jack looked confused at why Yusei would scold him for acting like a hero.

"What? Was that too harsh on this fellow in front of me?" Jack wondered as Yusei shrugged while placing his hand across his face.

"You don't realize what's ahead of us Jack! These Dark Signers are a major problem going forward, and we can't battle them alone!" He tells Jack.

"He's right, Jack. It's only appropriate that the rest of the signers join the battle against the darkness. That way you two will have a better chance of erasing the shadows from New Domino City." Godwin says.

"Luna, Akiza, and Jaxon; those are the remaining three signers. We need their help and power against this darkness we're about to face!" Yusei said to Jack.

Godwin nearly widened his eyes after hearing Jaxon's name. He had a sense of how Jaxon was like and how he dueled. He then looked concerned, which brought the attention of both Yusei and Jack.

"Jaxon you say?" Godwin asked.

"Yeah. The Fortune Cup Tournament winner." Yusei answered.

"Also the guy who somehow beat me for my title…" Jack grunts.

"I don't have a lot to say about him, but I would keep a very close eye on that young fellow if I were in your shoes." Godwin tells the two.

"Why's that?" Jack asked.

"Although I value him as a powerful, intelligent duelist with an unbelievable gracious heart. Everyday, I grow worried for him." He stated as he thinked back to the final duel of the tournament.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with him! He just has a mild form of Autism, that's all. I don't see anything wrong with him!" Yusei asserted.

"It's just that during his last duel in the tournament, he showed his true powers and showed what he was capable of." Godwin responded. "I have never seen a duelist with that amount of power and skill."

"Hmm…" Yusei thought back to Jack and Jaxon's duel in the finals. He did see Jaxon's blue eyes and mark glow immensely bright blue. Even he started to feel worried about Jaxon.

"What do you think he has to do with all of this?" Yusei asked Godwin.

"Well, you claim that he's a signer, right?" Godwin asked back.

"Of course we claim that he's a signer! I can tell that he fights for the greater good not only for him, his fans, but also for a future that his parents wanted him to have!"

"I do believe that a bright future will be set in stone for him. However, if he were to join your cause, uncertainty will cloud the very future he wants for himself." Says Godwin.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you don't want him to join the battle against these Dark Signers?" Jack asked him.

"It would be quite dangerous for him. While he and Yusei claim that he is a signer, the evidence points to the fact that he is rather someone else." Godwin answered. Yusei looked surprised after what he had to point out.

"Wait, he's not a signer?" Yusei asked Godwin as he shook his head, confirming the fear Yusei had for a while. Jack in the inside was almost fuming with anger, feeling like he was baited into a trap.

"That's why I said to keep a close eye on him. Do not hesitate to push him aside for his safety. I don't think he's ready to face such an obstacle he may not overcome." Godwin concludes.

"I understand where you're coming from Godwin, but even you don't get to decide who duels alongside us! I believe that Jaxon is powerful and brave enough to face the darkness, I don't care who says otherwise!" Yusei loudly states to Godwin.

"Fair enough Yusei. You are bold indeed. Just be careful with him around, ok?" Godwin asked Yusei, in which he nodded back.

"Very well then, I believe I have told everything there is to tell. I hope and pray that your bonds will guide you to many victories ahead. Good luck, don't let the city down." Godwin finalizes.

"We won't. I promise you." Yusei says back as he and Jack proceed to exit Godwin's office after what seemed to be nearly an hour and a half conversation.

"That lasted longer than a Soccer match!" Jack jokingly said, nearly making Yusei crack a smile.

"You almost got me there." Yusei tells Jack. "But if you're gonna make me crack a grin, you're gonna to tell a metaphor that doesn't mention Soccer in it."

"Oh come on! I saw you crack a smile!" Jack joked as the two exited the main Sector Security Headquarters.

"No you didn't." Yusei quickly said back.

"Uh yes you did! I saw your grin as soon as you turned your face away from my eyes!" Jack pointed at Yusei.

"You're weird and hard to deal with sometimes." Yusei clapped back quickly.

"I could say the same about you. But in hopes of improving our friendship since our fallout, how about I give you an escort back to your duel runner at the abandoned building?" Jack asked Yusei.

"Wait, how did you know my runner was there?" Yusei asked.

"I was in a passing vehicle on my way to Godwin's office when I saw you and sector security at this building near the highway. I knew that you wouldn't let them touch your precious runner since you take care of it as if it's worth a million dollars." Jack tells him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm good on my own for right now." Yusei responded, which didn't sit well with Jack.

"What?! What if you get jumped by a group of mobsters?! Don't you want someone protecting you at all times?"

"If you weren't as annoying as you are, I would have accepted your company." Yusei answered. "See you soon."

Yusei then quickly walks away from Jack, almost at the point of running just to get away from him.

"Don't blame me if you get hurt!" Jack yelled. Yusei shook his head in response while walking away. Jack soon walked towards the other direction, where his ride was waiting for him.

"_You're certainly not going to be alone when the darkness arrives…" _He thought as he looked back at Yusei walking towards the direction of the building where Yusei parked his runner last night.

A Day Later…

He stood in front of his mirror just like he did a couple days ago, looking at his clothing to make sure everything was looking normal. His red and black outfit that he cleaned along with his red hat were looking just perfect in his reflection.

"_Now this is how a duelist should look like." _He processed as he did a couple of twirls and pointed at his reflection. Misty then walked into Jaxon's room as he was distracted with himself, starting to giggle after catching a look of what Jaxon was doing.

"That's the first time I've seen you so confident in your looks." She spoke. Jaxon immediately froze in reaction upon hearing her voice out of nowhere.

"I mean, at least the hat fits into my attire. Without it, I look like a complete idiot." He responded trying to act tough and forget what just happened a few seconds ago.

"Hehe, at least you're my idiot and no one else's!" Misty jokingly stated. "Does that make you feel better by any chance?"

"If you somehow had a different voice box within your body, I wouldn't feel that much better." He mumbled. Jaxon then quickly winked at her, showing he wasn't going to back down and be afraid of showing his confidence.

"Oh, I see how it is, trying to be so manly today. I wonder where this was the previous times we were together?" She asked while walking and approached closer to him. Jaxon then suddenly felt a little anxious as he could feel her fingers race up towards his upper left shoulder.

"_No no no, don't feel afraid Jaxon! She's your girlfriend now! She kissed you last night for God's sake! Try to be not afraid for once!" _He quickly thought as she brought her face closer to his. He then felt a huge sense of relaxation go through his body as Misty wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid to be this close to you." He softly spoke as he smiled while looking at Misty's sparkling blue eyes up close.

"Good to hear. It's something you'll get used to, a lot." She said back as their lips met one another just like last night. The two then pulled back after what seemed to feel like a minute.

"How did that feel?" Misty asked. "The sensation of being kissed by the one you love?"

"The most amazing feeling I've had in quite awhile actually." He answered.

"Oh, so you didn't like being kissed last night! So much for amazing first time moments!" Misty joked as she gave a sour grouchy look at Jaxon.

"Hehehe, don't be silly Misty, I absolutely loved last night! Being able to sleep with a world class fashion model like you certainly made my goodnight sleep truly successful!" Jaxon responded.

"I'm sure it did." She looked back at Jaxon who knew she was messing with him.

"Now let's go, we don't want to waste anymore time do we?" She asked while walking away towards the front door with all of her belongings.

"Time wasters aren't normally successful people, let's not be one of them!" He said back as he quickly followed Misty out the door.

"Here. Let's travel in my car this time!" She said as she walked towards her vehicle.

"Really? Are you gonna take me back here once all of this is done?" Jaxon asked.

"Promise. I won't forget." She said back.

"Well then, don't mind if I do!" He quickly ran over to Misty's convertible and took his seat within the passenger side of her car. Misty followed suit as he entered her vehicle getting ready to start the engine, when Jaxon looked behind him suddenly.

"Uh, what's up babe?" Misty wondered.

"Oh, just making sure my duel disk was back there, which it is!" He quickly said back.

"That's good to hear. You also might want to check if you have your deck of cards with you." Misty adds.

"Don't worry, I always keep them in my deck containers clipped to my comfortable belt! No need to worry." He pointed as he showed his containers.

"I guess we both have our dueling equipment then, on our way we go!" Misty cheered on as she revs up the engine in her convertible and pulls away from Jaxon's house, in which he locked every door just to be safe.

As Misty continued to drive along the street, Jaxon thought about how today was going to pan out. He then remembered just a minute ago when Misty mentioned that the both of them had their dueling equipment with them packed.

"_Wait, is tonight the night where we end up dueling each other? She mentioned one day that me and her would end up dueling someday." _He quickly processed as he looked at Misty, concentrating on her sight in front of her. _"But she did also say that she predicted our plan would be successful. Why would we duel each other when one of us is planned to lose- ah forget about it. I'm sure the both of us will be fine, as long as we end up with each other alive is far as I'm concerned at this point."_

It didn't take long for the two to arrive back at Misty's hotel. In fact, it felt as if Misty drove to her hotel quicker than how quick Jaxon would have driven there normally.

"That was quick." Jaxon said.

"You sure? I went at the speed limit." She said back. "Here, we should wait for her to arrive and walk through the doors."

"What do you mean by her?" Jaxon asked.

"This girl I'm being interviewed by. Her name is Carly Carmine, a news reporter for New Domino City and for dueling as well." She told him. Jaxon then realized that Carly was the same girl that he met at the abandoned building where Yusei dueled a shadow drone a couple nights ago.

"Hey, I know her! I've met her before actually." Jaxon tells Misty, who looked surprised to hear that Jaxon knew her by any chance.

"Really? How did you two meet each other?" She asked.

"It's a long story. In summary, I watched a duel at an abandoned building, between Yusei and another guy. The aftershock and wind from the effects of the duel started to pick up one of the parked cars in the air and the car hurled towards Carly who was to my right peaking through the opening of a destroyed wall. I pushed her out of the way from the car, potentially saving her life. That's basically how we met." Jaxon summarized his side of the story as the two continued to look for the reporter.

"Seems to me you're a lifesaver!" Misty tells him.

"I had no choice! I couldn't afford to see someone get badly hurt from a flying car. She could've been badly injured if I hadn't quickly reacted." Jaxon quickly said as he looked both ways in an attempt to spot Carly.

"There she is, over there to the left." Misty pointed out to the left of the hotel. Jaxon could see her heading towards the front doors wearing her crazy glasses and her orange yellow vest she would wear most of the time.

"I guess it's time." Jaxon then reaches for the passenger door handle, only to be suddenly halted by Misty as she yanked Jaxon's left arm.

"Wait! Not yet! Let her enter the building first." Misty whispered to Jaxon as the two froze trying not to capture Carly's attention. It would be another 10 seconds before Carly finally walked past the entrance and into the building.

"Ok, we're clear, aren't we?" Jaxon asked.

"Yep, let's head in now. Don't want to keep Kathy waiting with her." She and Jaxon then followed suit and went after Carly inside the hotel. As soon as they walk inside, they can see Carly already interacting with Kathy, the same hotel receptionist that Jaxon met before his first interaction with Misty.

"Let's try not to catch her attention. Walk as slow as possible." Misty reminded Jaxon, who looked confused.

"Why slow as possible? I don't think she'll be able to hear us at all unless one of us speaks up from behind." He responds while holding his championship belt on his right shoulder.

"I understand where you're coming from, but it's possible that she may have better hearing than exp-" She then halted herself as she caught a quick glimpse of Jaxon's belt, which was something that Jaxon didn't expect to bring.

"Wait, why did you pack your championship belt?" She asked.

"I thought it would look fantastic knowing she would be interviewing a model with a dueling champion at your side. How does it look on me?" Jaxon spun around quickly, attempting to flatter Misty.

"Hmm, how clever of you. But enough dazzling, let's get this over with shall we?" She then walked forward with Jaxon following her seconds later.

"After you." He then walked behind Misty, with a few quick glances at her long black hair stretching as far down to her lower back.

Both then could overhear the conversation and suddenly stopped behind Carly about fifteen feet away. Carly seemed to have some trouble convincing Kathy about her scheduled meeting with Misty.

"What's the name?" Kathy asks.

"Carly Carmine, I'm here to meet Misty, the model that lives here." Carly responded.

"Oh, you mean Misty Tredwell? A woman who takes her privacy seriously and doesn't deal with dogs like you on the streets outside?" Kathy blunts out at Carly.

"Uhhhh… did you just call me an ugly dog?" Carly looked confused, wondering why a simple receptionist would insult an innocent civilian. Jaxon overheard what Kathy said and shook his head angrily, which made him think about what Kathy originally said to him the first time they met.

"Let me take care of this." Jaxon said as he began to storm his way towards the front desk. Misty attempted to grab Jaxon's arm, but it was too late.

"No wait, Jaxon!" Misty whispered loudly, but Jaxon continued to press on unimpeded, wanting some answers.

"Kathy, Kathy, Kathy." Jaxon said three times in a row, which caught Kathy by surprise as she gasped, catching the sight of Jaxon who was nearly storming towards her desk.

"How many times are you going to insult an innocent girl before you start showing some respect?!" He angrily growled at Kathy. She started to shake nearly uncontrollably like if she was standing in a freezer.

"Oh! J-Jaxon! I'm s-sorry! I-I take my job s-seriously as always and-" She attempted to finish her words but was cut off by Jaxon suddenly.

"And? What do you mean and? Didn't I tell you the first time we met to show some respect and not trash others just because you don't know them and the fact that you don't know their potential in life?!" He slightly raised his voice at Kathy. Carly, looking on, looked back and forth between the two.

Misty quickly walked towards Jaxon, who seemed to be a bit harsh on Kathy. She wanted to deescalate the situation as much as possible without creating a dramatic scene within the lobby.

"Jaxon, that's enough!" She scolded at him. "There's no reason for you to get randomly angry at someone who takes their job seriously!"

"Misty, this woman has no idea nor has any respect for Carly over here. Didn't you hear what Kathy said to her?" Jaxon asked Misty as he pointed at Kathy, who looked like she was being taken into questioning.

"She's only doing her job! She's making sure no one at random is trying to meet up with someone as famous as I am! Look past all of this, please!" She raised her voice at Jaxon, who closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"I don't think you understand what's going on here. I've encountered the same problem with her before you and I met at the tournament the first time!" He expressed soundly at Misty. "I told her in response to not judge someone not only based on looks but also potential, and it's clear that Kathy over here already broke that very rule."

Jaxon at the same time looked at Kathy angrily. Misty on the other hand didn't know what to do at the moment. She then grabbed and pulled Jaxon's right shoulder in an attempt to take control of the situation.

"Look. I don't want you, out of all people, to cause a ruckus for no reason. Since the three of us are meeting in my room, I would highly recommend that you start heading up there, right now!" She finally released her grip on Jaxon's shoulder. He looked at Misty like he had seen a ghost; he never saw Misty as frustrated as she was now.

For the few times in his life, Jaxon couldn't pick a battle he thought he could win. While angry at the thought of Kathy's insult to Carly, he knew getting angry in front of a number of people within the lobby wouldn't be wise of him.

He then looked down at the floor, showing a sign of guilt and regret. As much as he wanted to press on about Kathy, he didn't want to anger Misty more than he already has. He shook his head as he started to proceed to Misty's hotel room.

"Sorry…" He slightly let out of his mouth as he stormed away, leaving Misty with her head shaking in disappointment. Her attention turned to Carly, who looked a bit fazed after seeing Jaxon's near meltdown.

"I deeply apologize for his sudden change of behavior. I've never seen him go out on someone like that." She expressed this to both Carly and Kathy.

"No no no, you're perfectly fine! Trust me!" Carly happily dismissed her apology, almost seemingly to like how Jaxon defended her.

"Ok then. How about we discuss this in private? Hopefully, my hotel room isn't too far away for you."

"Sounds perfect! Mind leading the way?" Carly asked.

"Of course! Even though Jaxon is on his way there already, It'll be my pleasure!" She directed Carly as she quickly followed Misty to the hallway.

"Once again, I deeply apologize for what just happened. You shouldn't have gone through something like that at all." Misty offered.

"Why apologize? He came to my defense! I thought it was cool!" Carly responded.

"I understand he came to your defense, but he didn't do it in a calm way." She asserted. "If he wanted to defend you, he at least should have not raised his voice at Kathy, who's only doing her job."

"Didn't you hear her insult me though?" Carly asked her.

"I personally believed that she only insulted you just to protect my privacy. That's how serious she takes her job. But if that was a bit harsh to you then I apologize for that as well." Misty offered once again.

"Ah don't worry about it. I just try to move on with the past, even if the past moment occurred just a minute ago." Carly let Misty know about how she felt about what happened.

"Well that's good to hear." Misty smiled, but then looked a bit sorrowful as she looked at the ground while guiding Carly towards her room.

"I just wish that he didn't let out his emotions like that at Kathy." She told Carly.

"Is he like that sometimes?" Carly asked.

"Not at all. I've never seen him get angry at someone like that in person. It's a shame he wasn't thinking clearly at that moment." Misty shook her head thinking back to that moment.

"I can assure you he is never like that at all. He's the sweetest guy I've had the pleasure to be around." She reminded Carly.

"I would assume so! Why would you be with someone that doesn't treat you like a queen?" Carly asked.

"Exactly. I never dated anyone until I met him at the Fortune Cup in between his duels. As soon as I started talking to him, I knew that he was the right one." Misty thought back to the first interaction she had with Jaxon.

"Interesting fact, while me and Jaxon were heading to our place to talk that day, he had the worst anxiety attack I've ever seen in my life." She reminded Carly, who immediately turned her head to Misty's direction.

"What? Are you serious?" Carly asked.

"As sad as it is, yes. We were just walking to that location and all of a sudden I heard a huge thud behind me." Misty nearly rehearsed the scene that day, stretching her hand to the area behind her.

"From there my instincts kicked in and I tried my best to comfort him. I even hugged him in an attempt to calm him down, which actually worked for the most part." She revealed to Carly. "In the end he was still breathing quite heavy, but he eventually felt better and our rest of the day went well."

"That's really good to hear." Carly sighed in relief. "Do you know how often he struggles with that by any chance?"

"I've only started dating him for about a few days now, but I've actually known him for all of my life. I know for a fact that when he was two years old, he was diagnosed with ASD."

"ASD? What does it stand for?" Carly wanted to know since she never heard of the abbreviation before.

"It stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder, which means that he has trouble interacting with others and sometimes learns at a slower pace than normal." Misty revealed.

"Oooh, I didn't know about that at all!" Carly gasped. "He didn't act like he had it the last time me and him talked."

"I know right? He handles it so well most of the time! Although his problems with anxiety can give him some problems sometimes." Misty detailed. "There will also be times where he randomly depletes his confidence, but thankfully he hasn't been like that ever since I started to spend time with him."

"This is interesting to hear. Where did you get all of this information from?" Carly asked.

"I learned all of this from his mother before she and his father tragically passed away." Misty's tone suddenly changed, catching Carly's attention just like the few times in the past minute.

"Oh geez, what happened?" Carly wondered.

"I've heard that both of his parents were suddenly addicted to drugs at one time. Before I knew it, I heard one day that his parents died due to some sort of drug overdose." Misty hesitated to reveal. It took a few seconds for her to gather her mind about Jaxon's late parents.

"I don't know the exact details about what drugs they were using. Jaxon never really talked to me about it; he probably keeps it as private as possible." She said as the two approached the hotel room after going up numerous floors.

"Well, here we are!" Misty then opened the door revealing the inside of the room, only to find out that Jaxon was nowhere to be found.

"Hmm, I figured that Jaxon would be here by now." She looked around the room before walking inside. "Here, come inside and make yourself comfortable!"

"Um, thanks! I guess…" Carly hesitated, but finally walked inside her room. She then started to look around the room filled with golden walls and a piano near the far end of the room.

"Jaxon? Are you here?" Misty wondered as she started to walk towards the kitchen area. It was then that Jaxon appeared from the kitchen with three cups of tea on a plate.

"I figured that your throats would quickly dry off as we discuss overtime. So I decided to make some tea for us to compensate." Jaxon mentioned as he set the plate of teacups onto the small table in front of the chairs and sofa.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Misty kindly appreciated Jaxon's act. "You know you didn't need to do this. I think we'll be fine!"

"Even so, I wanted to make sure you guys would feel ok at the end of this interview. It's better to prepare for the unknown, right?" Jaxon smiled at the two.

"You really are precautious aren't you?" Carly sputtered before giggling. "However I must thank you for the tea, It's my favorite type of drink believe it or not!"

"Here, we have a chair for you that you can take a seat at." Misty patted on an open chair as she and Jaxon took spots on the sofa across from Carly.

"Don't mind if I do then!" Carly then drops to the chair, letting her back feel the soft cotton fabric.

"I figured you would remember what you wanted to talk to us about." Jaxon told Carly as she brought herself back up and grabbed a blue book from her purse.

"Right! I wanted to talk to you two, but especially to Misty since I saw your portrait in this book I brought with me here today." Carly then handed the book to Misty as Jaxon looked on.

"Which brings up the question I wanted to ask you. Since I'm doing an investigation into Rex Godwin, I wanted to ask you about the Arcadia Movement."

"The Arcadia Movement… I've heard about that group many times." Jaxon said. "I heard that they were pretty sketchy on how they do things."

"Yes. Indeed they are sketchy for many good reasons." Misty added on. The look on her face turned from gracious into more serious. She knew what answers Carly wanted not only about the Arcadia Movement, but also her brother.

"Do you have any sort of connection with the movement by any chance?" Carly asked Misty.

"Sort of." She replied. "But not in a way that you two would think."

"_Maybe this is where she talks about her brother and how Akiza was involved in all of this mess." _Jaxon thought.

"This connection mainly resided with my brother, who was a brother that anyone could have. He would always greet me whenever he got home from school every time I was here. We would also tag duel with other duelists when the both of us had enough free time to spend quality time, since I was doing photoshoots as a supermodel most of the time." Misty and Jaxon then locked eyes with one another.

The two had the look that they knew the topic of the fate of her brother would eventually be brought up. Misty took a deep breath, readying and calming herself in an attempt to not have a potential emotion meltdown in front of Carly and Jaxon.

"About a day or a couple days after my 22nd birthday, my brother came home from school, but he wasn't the same." Misty lowered her tone. She then held her necklace that was wrapped around her neck.

"My brother gifted me this necklace, containing a photo of me and him as a gift for my birthday. But then he said that he met someone with the same abilities as he did."

"Wait, your brother was also a psychic duelist?" Jaxon asked.

"Yes. While I did know that he had these abilities, I didn't know how much of that he held." Misty clarified.

"Do you happen to know who this 'someone' was that your brother mentioned? Was this person involved with the Arcadia Movement?" Carly asked Misty.

"At the time, I didn't know who he was talking about. Now I know that it was another psychic duelist, and her name was Akiza Izinski." Misty then opened the book that Carly handed to her as she continued to reveal all.

"She's the very person that I defeated in the Fortune Cup. I never dueled a psychic duelist up until that point, and I never took that much damage until that very duel." Jaxon mentioned quickly.

"I was so glad and relieved when he defeated that witch. I never liked her, and I never will!" Misty's voice reflected and rang throughout the room. Both Jaxon and Carly awkwardly looked at Misty, not expecting someone like her to suddenly raise her voice at a high level.

"Going back to my brother… me and him suddenly started to argue about this movement. I told him that I didn't like the sound of it and didn't approve. He then mentioned how the movement was not harmful but rather safe and caring, and then he stormed off suddenly." Misty hesitated to state.

Jaxon could see her eyes starting to glisten with a little amount of tears. He quickly handed a box of tissues to Misty's side just in case her eyes start to leak. She then grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped her eyes dry while taking more deep breaths to ease herself.

"That was the last time I would ever see him again, alive." She attempted to dry her eyes out, but her tears already leaked from her eyes and started to drip along her cheeks. She couldn't hold her emotions anymore as she let out a few cries as if she was in pain.

Jaxon moved towards Misty and hugged her, comforting her. He tried to ease the situation by rubbing her back with his left hand, but it didn't seem to work. Misty continued to let out slight screams of agony even thinking about her brother's fate.

"It's ok. It's ok." Jaxon repeated into Misty's ear as he hugged her in an attempt to comfort her. "Here, wipe your face with this."

He handed Misty another tissue, in which Misty grabbed with no hesitation. He awkwardly looked at Carly who looked like she didn't know what was happening in front of her.

"_I'm so sorry!" _He worded at Carly without his voice leaking out. Not wanting to have Misty's emotions get worse, he kept his arms around her as a way to make Misty feel ok and safe. She then raised herself back up from Jaxon's grasp and grabbed another tissue to dry out her tear drenched face.

"I deeply apologize that you had to see me break down like this." Misty struggled to word, then threw the old tissues in a nearby can. Jaxon reached out to the table where the cups of tea were sat and grabbed one of the cups.

"Here, take a drink. It'll calm you down some." He hummed. Misty slowly grabbed the handle of the cup of tea and sipped nearly every drop. She then sat the cup next to the rest of the cups and took a couple of deep breaths to bring herself back.

"Thanks love." Misty said. "You're a gem in my life, you know?"

"I know. You are also a gem in my life." The two briefly smiled at one another before Carly suddenly broke apart the romantic scene.

"Uh, guys? Y'all hear me right?" Carly snapped her fingers at the two, who stared into each other's eyes just like the many times they have.

"Oh, right." Misty gathered her side of the story once again after going through her breakdown.

"I assumed that my brother went to Downtown Domino shortly after. There, he witnessed a duel that involved 'The Black Rose', which was later revealed to be a girl named Akiza Izinski." She said before pulling out a picture of what seemed to be a gravestone from a cemetery.

"Long story short, he didn't make it out. Sector Security found him in a body bag as they were searching for people possibly trapped under the amount of debris from the damaged buildings. When they notified me, I didn't believe them at first, so I ended up looking there myself." She processed, surprisingly without any hesitation knowing how sensitive the topic was.

"Did anyone attempt to stop you while you were looking?" Carly asked.

"A Sector Security officer tried to stop me, but I didn't let him. I wanted to find my brother alive." She said while looking at the photo of her brother's grave at New Domino National Cemetery.

"I somehow ran past him and he called backup to chase after me. I ended up running inside the building where those officers were searching for possible survivors. I then ran into a room to hide, and I saw it."

"You saw your brother's body bag, didn't you?" Carly asked.

"I did. As soon as I drifted my eyes towards the bag, I felt my heart drop. At that moment, I knew my brother was gone. He was dead." Misty lowered her voice. "Sector Security must have heard my cries and escorted me out of the building once they found me. They calmed me down as much as they could, but it was no use."

"Later that night, I was driving around the city trying to gather my emotions. I was thinking about all the years I spent with my brother from being born on the first day, to his very first duel, up until his sudden death." Misty then relaxed herself on the sofa, releasing her tension.

"Before I knew it, I saw a road barrier right in front of my eyes. I ended up crashing through the barrier and into the body of water below. Somehow, a random bystander pulled me out of the car and called the paramedics as soon as he laid me down on the nearby sand. I could go on more, but I don't want to spoil anything else if that's ok with the both of you."

"No no no, I think you've said quite enough. I think we should try to end on a positive note here, should we?" Carly asked the two. "I really don't want to have your past affect you today out of all the days."

"I completely agree. Wouldn't you agree as well?" Misty asked Jaxon. "Should we end it there?"

"Good call. I could definitely use this time to stand and stretch, my legs are literally cracking right now." He joked as he quickly stood up and reached toward the ceiling with his arms. He gets a few jumps in to loosen his legs.

"This movement seems to be quite sketchy and questionable as far as I'm concerned. If this movement can't protect the lives of its own members, is it really safe and non violent?" Carly wondered as she gathered her things. She quickly takes a huge sip of tea from her cup and sets the cup back down once she finishes her drink.

"I should have drank my tea earlier…" Carly mumbled. She quickly got up and headed towards the door once she packed up everything within her purse.

"Wait! One more thing!" Jaxon suddenly yelled as he halted Carly from grabbing the door handle. She turned around and looked at Jaxon, who slowly walked towards her.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I acted in front of you earlier. I can assure you that I'm a much better person than that." Jaxon apologized to Carly. However, Carly shrugged it off.

"You don't need to apologize, it wasn't a big deal. You didn't catch anyone's attention from afar. Besides, it's in the past. You shouldn't worry about it too much." Carly responded.

"She's right. You shouldn't let that one moment affect your head. Focus on what's ahead in life!" She worded softly into Jaxon's ear.

"Alright… By the way, thanks for the interview today. Even though you only asked a couple of questions, I hope you understood and obtained what you needed to know." He said.

"Don't worry, I learned quite a bit today. Imma use this information to make this Arcadia Movement investigation a little more spicy!" Carly hissed as she waved at the two and walked away quickly.

"Well that farewell was a bit weird don't you think?" Jaxon asked Misty, who was slightly laughing after witnessing Carly's farewell.

"It was more funny than weird to be honest. I'm surprised you aren't at least giggling!" Misty continued to laugh as Jaxon slowly closed the door leaving the two alone in Misty's room.

"Ok so, now what? What's next in this plan you came up with?" Jaxon asked as he and Misty walked back to the sofa together.

"It's simple, we sit here and wait until it happens." Misty said while not explaining what she meant by "it". Jaxon looked confused after thinking about the word "it".

"What do you mean 'it'? Something is bound to happen is what you're saying?" Jaxon asked. Misty hesitated to answer quickly, knowing that she doesn't want to give away anything at the moment, rather until later.

"I wouldn't worry about it until later tonight. At least we have the time in between now and then to enjoy our company wouldn't you say?" Misty happily asked as she brought up her legs and slowly crawled towards Jaxon who was at the other end of the sofa.

She then quickly moved right to Jaxon's side and brought up her legs across his lap. He could start to feel the tension rise once again just like a few times in the past with her. Misty rose her arms and rested them on top of Jaxon's shoulders.

"You like being this close to me don't you?" He asked Misty.

"Duh, silly boy." Misty leaned in close, meeting her lips with Jaxon's. The tension once present within his body suddenly leaves from his system. He felt relaxed and calm as he synced his lips with Misty.

"Oof!" Jaxon yelped as Misty suddenly pulled him in close and the two both laid on the sofa, with Misty being on top. Jaxon's cheeks suddenly flushed into a bright red color.

"I see now. You wanted to be on top for awhile haven't you?" He smirked at Misty who smiled back at him.

"It's about time you figured that out." She responded as she brought her whole weight upon Jaxon. He let out a huge groan in jokingly fashion to act like he was being crushed. Misty of course didn't buy it and once again pressed her lips against his in an act to shut him up.

Carly quickly raced upstairs towards the upper section of the hotel. Breathing hard, she slows down to catch her breath not before seeing an open door to her right.

"I guess this is the floor!" She said to herself while entering the enormous amount of space. As she walked in, she could she the square fence, guarding the open space that looked like a bottomless pit. She could also see at least three other long paths extending outward from both directions.

"Using the map of the interior of the building she brought with her, she walked towards the path to her right and walked down the same path. She felt a slight breeze in the air as she started to think about what else could be in the area.

"I wonder who lives on this side of the floor…" She wondered on before a door in the distance suddenly opened. Stepped outside the doorway was Akiza, the girl that Misty mentioned in her brother's story. She wasn't alone however. Beside Akiza to her right, was the leader of the Arcadia Movement, Sayer.

"_Ignore him the best you can Carly! Don't make him feel like you're suspicious!" _She thought as Akiza and Sayer closed in the distance. Carly tried to act like he wasn't in front of her in an attempt to look innocent.

"Excuse me, miss?" Sayer suddenly asked, startling Carly for a second. "Do I recognize you? I haven't seen someone like you around here before."

"Oh! Uh, I'm Carly, a news reporter that's currently investigating the truth about Director Godwin!" Carly lied under her breath, covering the real reason behind her appearance on the floor in a way to not let Sayer recognize the truth there and then.

"Director Godwin huh? He's pretty sketchy to me, and I think he outright should be investigated. Don't you think?" He asked.

"Yeah, definitely. That's why you're seeing me here and now." Carly said in a positive tone to cover her scared feeling looking at the leader of the movement.

"I see. Well, carry on then. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to escort Akiza on her little adventure." Sayer proceeded as Carly caught a glimpse of Akiza, her lifeless stare and duel disk gave Carly a weird feeling inside of her.

"_Don't let her scare you Carly, you need to sneak into his office quickly!"_ Carly then quickly but smoothly opened the door to her right and closed it after her once Sayer disappeared from sight. A dark room filled with a desk and bookshelves filled with books was revealed in front of Carly's eyes.

"Interesting! Let's see the truth about this whole movement!" Carly said while walking towards one of the book shelves.

Sayer, who was escorting Akiza to a nearby elevator, felt a weird sensation go through his body. He stopped himself in his tracks as he watched Akiza enter the elevator.

"Akiza." He called.

"Hmm? What is it Sayer?" Akiza asked.

"You go on without me for now." He said before sadistically smiling. "I have to address a little rodent problem."

The elevator then closed, leaving Akiza alone as she was transported along. Sayer quickly moved back towards his office, where he discovered that his door was not all the way closed.

"Well well well, looks like someone has entered my office. I bet it's her!" He growled as he slowly walked closer to his office.

Carly continued to look for information on the movement and its members. She then discovers a button alongside a wall right next to the bookshelf she was looking upon.

"Is that a button? I wonder what this does." Carly then points her finger at the button and presses it. She suddenly hears grinding behind the bookshelves as the ground shakes below her at the same time, causing her to fall back. The bookshelf then moves to it's left, revealing a room filled with portfolios.

"Woah! Maybe this is where he keeps records of his members! This is a huge scoop of information I wanted and needed!" She happily said as she entered the room. She could then see letter markings, which represented the first letter of a member's last name.

Carly immediately took the portfolio that had the letter 'T' and searched within. Carly wanted to see the information on Toby, Misty's brother who claimed that she was killed by Akiza, one of the top members of the movement.

"_Come on, where is he at? AHA! Found him!" _Carly then saw the last name "Tredwell" and immediately pulled the piece of paper containing his information. As she looked over Toby's information, she spotted a section worded: "Cause of Death: Electric Shocking During a Psychic Test"

"No, no this can't be true!" Carly yelled across the room. She couldn't believe what she saw. So Akiza didn't kill Toby after all! Sayer, who was outside his office and had not entered yet, heard her voice and started to open the door.

"Time to extract this mouse!" He said quietly as he walked in, revealing his secret room was breached. He smiled as he could hear sounds coming from the same room, knowing he had Carly cornered.

"This is something that Misty needs to know quickly!" Carly quickly gathered her things and ran out the room only to be stopped in her tracks by Sayer who was at the doorway blocking her path.

"It seems like the rat in the room has been cornered." Sayer walked towards Carly as he picked up the paper containing Toby's information.

"Toby Tredwell, what a disappointment he was." Sayer looked at the paper of Toby's information. "I'll be happy to set this back where it came from once I'm through extracting your existence!"

"Uh, what do you mean by that?" Carly looked at Sayer oddly knowing that something wasn't right with him. She could almost feel the evil sense escaping from his body and reaching towards her.

"Let's just say that you won't make it out alive easily. Since you exposed some information on my past members, I have no choice but to eradicate you by force." Sayer then grabbed his deck from his deckbox and placed it in his duel disk.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Carly then saw Sayer pulled out a spare duel disk from one of his drawers and tossed it to Carly. She barely catches it as the weight of the disk nearly makes her fall to the ground.

"To prove that I'm fair, I'll give you a fighting chance." Sayer said. "I'll give you two options to choose from. You can either try to run, or you can duel me for your life." Sayer said as he activated his duel disk. "What do you say?"

"_Come on Carly, you can do this! Who knows, maybe if I beat this guy, I can expose these files and bring out the truth to the people! Who knows, maybe me and Jack could be the world's first married dueling couple!" _Carly nearly drooled before bringing her senses to what was in front of her.

"Bring it on!" Carly exclaimed as she pulled out her deck and slid it into the duel disk.

"Heh, you should have tried to run. Now, you will know how it feels to duel the leader of the Arcadia Movement!" Sayer yelled out.

"Let's Duel!" Both drew their opening hands, ready for combat.

**Turn 1: Carly**

**Carly: 4000 LP/Sayer: 4000 LP**

"Ladies first." Sayer signaled.

"With pleasure! I draw!" Carly draws. Her once brave expression turned into fear looking at the card she drew.

"_Gah! When this is drawn, the card holder is doomed! Of course I'm doomed, I'm dueling a psychic duelist! They are also known to deal real damage, which means… No, I can't let my fear take over! I gotta fight and win this duel!" _

"I summon Fortune Fairy Swee (Level: 4/ ATK: 0/DEF: 0) in attack mode!" Swee quickly appears on the field from a bright ball of blue light floating in the air. Carly quickly processed what move she would want to execute next.

"Next, I activate the 'Unacceptable Result' Spell card! Which allows me to Special Summon another 'Fortune Fairy' monster from my hand as long as I control a spellcaster type monster! I Special Summon 'Fortune Fairy Chee' (Level: 6/ ATK: 0/DEF: 0)!"

"That's not all! I activate 'Lucky Loan'! Which allows me to Special Summon another 'Fortune Fairy' from my hand or deck, as long as it's one level lower than any of my monsters on my field! I give you, 'Fortune Fairy Hu' (Level: 3/ ATK:0/DEF:0)!" Carly managed to summon 3 monsters in one turn! Sayer however wasn't amused by his looks.

"None of those monsters have any attack points whatsoever! I guess you aren't going to put up a fight after all. I thought you would at least duel like your life's on the line, but I guess you have decided to accept your fate." Sayer smiled, but soon saw Carly pull out another card from her hand that she was looking to use.

"I'm not as weak as you think, and I'll prove it by activating this card! 'Miracle Stone'! Now for every 'Fortune Fairy' monster on my field, they gain 1000 attack points! Since I have three on my field, they all gain 3000 attack points!" Carly soon felt more calm after boosting her monsters' attack points. Sayer seemed to be impressed after seeing Carly's monsters' attack points buffed up.

"My oh my, the little mouse is more powerful than I thought! I must say I'm impressed, however, it still won't save you in the end." Sayer said before taking his turn.

**Turn 2: Sayer**

**Carly: 4000 LP/Sayer: 4000 LP**

"It's my move now! First, I activate the Spell card, 'Teleport'"! This card allows me to Special Summon one psychic type monster from my hand, as long as you control a monster and I don't! I Special Summon 'Telekinetic Shocker' ( Level: 4/ ATK: 1700/DEF:700)!"

"Next, I summon 'Psychic Snail' (Level: 4/ ATK: 1900/DEF:1200)! Then, I activate my 'Emergency Teleport' Spell card, which allows me to Special Summon a level three monster from my hand or deck! I Special Summon, 'Psychic Commander' (Level: 3/ ATK:1400/DEF:800)!" Sayer quickly summoned out his monsters. Even though his monsters were weaker than the three 'Fortune Fairies', he had plans to get rid of them.

"Your monsters are still weaker than mine! My 'Fortune Fairies' have 3000 Attack points each!" Carly pointed out.

"That's true. However, this spell card will quickly deplete your monsters of their powers. I activate 'Psychokinesis'! In exchange for taking 1000 life points of damage, I can destroy any card on your field! Now, time to choose which card to destroy… I think I'll destroy your 'Miracle Stone'!" Sayer said as he extended his hand out forward. At the same time, A huge but narrow yellow path hurdled towards Carly's spell. As soon as the beam made contact, the whole card turned into shattered crystals. Carly's monsters once again return to zero attack points.

"With your precious stone gone, none of your monsters have any attack points left! Which means that you're wide open to my attacks!" Sayer then soon directed his Shocker to attack.

"Now, 'Telekinetic Shocker', attack 'Fortune Fairy Chee'!" Without any spell and traps cards on Carly's field, Sayer had no worry about a counter attack. The electric shocks soon pushed Carly up against the glass window behind her while shocking her in the process. Carly's glasses soon fly off of her ears and land right in front of her.

**Carly: 2300 LP/Sayer: 2200 LP**

"T-That hurt. What was that shock?" Carly stuttered, stuck to the near broken glass.

"The power of a psychic duel is what you're feeling. Now, 'Psychic Snail' attack and destroy 'Fortune Fairy Swee'!" Sayer's snail quickly fires a quick round of electric shocks at 'Swee'. The shocks eventually reached Carly once 'Swee' was completely destroyed. Carly, looking defeated, laboured after receiving another round of electricity through her entire body.

**Carly: 400 LP/Sayer: 2200 LP**

"You won't get away with this... Sector Security will look for Carly Carmine, and they'll surely bring you to justice!" Carly struggled to say.

"Heh, of course they will, and they'll classify your death as accidental! No one from Sector Security has the guts to break from their 'guidelines'." Sayer laughed out. "Sector Security can't, and will NEVER touch us. You will just become one of many cold unsolved cases…"

"Now before I finish you off, I might as well tell the truth as you will perish once my 'Psychic Commander' attacks your one remaining monster." Sayer said. "It is true, I did kill those who failed to meet the Arcadia Movement's standards! I only accept those who accel in their powers, like Akiza for example. Once she finally meets her full potential, she and I, along with the rest of the movement will show our power to the rest of the world!"

"That's not good…" Carly's eyes started to widen as Sayer brought his hand forward once again.

"Sweet dreams, little mouse. Go 'Psychic Commander', end this pathetic creep!" Sayer exclaimed to his 'Commander'. 'Commander' then fires a bright white blue colored beam towards Hu, sealing Carly's defeat and eventual death.

**Carly: 0 LP/Sayer: 2200 LP**

**Duel Winner: Sayer**

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"Carly screamed before the Commander's light of beam quickly shattered the glass Carly was stuck to, leaving Carly in a free fall towards the ground, which was nearly 200-300 feet below.

Carly was doomed. She knew she wouldn't be able to survive such a fall.

"_Someone… Help… me…" _

To be continued...

**Well guys, this chapter is finally completed! I want to take this time to apologize for my 2 month absence. I recently just started my 2nd year of college and I didn't have as much time as I wanted to get this out for you guys. Hopefully from now on, I'll be able to actively post more chapters as time goes by, since I only am taking four classes this semester online. **

**You may have also realized that I have changed the title name and the summary once again. I just wanted to have a title and summary that would make sense depending on how this story would play out in the long run. **

**Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter! I promise that the next chapter is something you do not want to miss! **

**Have a nice day/evening and stay safe. **

** -HFARecon**


	14. Chapter 13: Transformation into Darkness

**Chapter 13: Transformation into Darkness**

The only thing stopping Carly from falling at this point was the ground below her soon-to-be lifeless body. Carly was in a complete state of shock as soon as Sayer's 'Psychic Commander' blasted through the glass that Carly became stuck to, almost instantly killing her on impact. While she couldn't move a muscle, she could still think properly somehow.

"_This can't be happening! My life is flashing before my eyes!" _Her vision turned from seeing the dark night sky to earlier events that happened throughout the week. She could see herself on the job at the Fortune Cup giving Jaxon a short interview after his victory over Jack Atlas.

"_Well there's Jaxon! Too bad he saved my life for absolutely nothing…" _Carly then saw another vision pop up. This time, it featured her and Jack spending time with one another, with Carly tending to Jack's wounds suffered from a slight accident.

"_Aww, Jack's smile really is the cutest smile out there. Maybe he won't be smiling when he finds out that I got killed by a freaking psychic can-" _Her thought process was suddenly halted. Carly felt as if she crashed through some sort of small building before landing on the concrete highway. The highway she landed upon formed a small crater as Carly was falling at such a high speed, the surface couldn't hold on contact.

Surprisingly, Carly didn't feel as much pain as she would have. While her physical body was completely immobilized, she was surprisingly still alive, in a way. She could still talk to herself, but couldn't move her arms, legs, and even her eyes. She couldn't even sense anything anymore!

"_Wow, that didn't hurt as I thought it would." _Carly's lifeless eyes continued to gaze at the night sky. Out in the distance, sparks of yellow-brownish lights glistened near the top of the building and descended towards Carly's direction.

"_Wait, what's that?" _Carly then realized that one of the many sparkling lights were in fact, dueling cards. One of them landed on top of Carly's chest.

"_A, a card? Wait, what's happening?" _Cards all of a sudden started to rain down on top of Carly. These cards weren't the same cards that she used during her duel with Sayer. They felt dark, eerie, and filled with a sense of evil.

Before Carly had a chance to figure out what these cards were. An aura of purple light, surrounded her entire body. She quickly sensed a shock of new energy flowing through her legs and into her chest and arms, which was powerful enough to reset her heartbeat.

"_UGHHH!" _Carly's eyes quickly regained their color, her arms and legs were once again able to move. However, she couldn't still move as she felt like someone was pinning her down to the pavement.

"_It's time for your revenge…" _A voice called out to her from a distance. As soon as Carly hears it, the aura surrounding her brightly glows, vanishing her body from Sayer's point of view. He looks down at the area where Carly's body landed.

"Hmm, I wonder what's that strange purple light down there?" Sayer said.

Jaxon and Misty like the few times they have done together, relaxed and embraced with one another, lying on her sofa. Nothing was disturbing the two, it was all peace and quiet. It was a moment that a boyfriend and a girlfriend would enjoy.

Jaxon then motioned his right hand over his chest. He could feel a sense of pressure beginning to push upon himself. This wasn't normal however; this wasn't an anxiety/panic attack, rather a sense of pain and loss. It was almost that Jaxon felt like someone close to him lost their life.

Every second goes by, the pressure increases. He began to extend his arms towards Misty's chest to gain her attention and get some extra space. She quickly noticed that Jaxon was in an amount of pain and quickly rose herself up from the sofa.

"Hey, Jaxon, are you ok? Is something wrong?" She anxiously asked Jaxon. With Misty standing up, Jaxon found his opportunity to stand on his legs and walk around.

"This doesn't feel right. It hurts so much…" He moved his hand across his chest in an attempt to feel his heartbeat to check if he had a pulse. It was slight, but he could feel it. He immediately ruled out a possible heart attack as if he did have one, his heart would most likely have stopped for a short amount of time.

"It's still beating though…" He then slowed down his breath in order to calm himself down, and then kneels on one knee on the ground. Misty walked over to him and kneeled down beside him.

"Are you ok though? Are you having another anxiety attack?" She whispered into his ear.

"No, it doesn't feel like one. It feels like someone that I know just died a minute ago." Jaxon answered while catching his breath. "It's starting to ease a little, thankfully."

"Are you sure?" She asked anxiously. "I really don't want you to pass out on me."

"I'm positive I'm ok. It's fading away." Jaxon then slowly stood back up. "I feel a bit better now."

"Good. Let me refill your drink for you while you relax yourself." Misty grabbed Jaxon's empty mug and walked towards the kitchen area.

"Good idea." Jaxon then lowered himself towards Misty's sofa and relaxed his entire back upon the back of the sofa. Taking a few deep breaths, he extended his arms and legs to have his blood flow more efficiently.

"Here, take a drink. It'll help you out." Misty hands the mug to Jaxon. He slowly takes a big sip and swallows down his drink.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Jaxon then took another sip as Misty sat beside him holding a drink of her own.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Jaxon suddenly asked Misty.

The moment of peace suddenly takes a turn as Jaxon starts to feel the ground below him slightly shake. He looked around the room and noticed that some of the hanging lights and decorations were slightly moving from side to side.

"I think we're having an earthquake." He reminded her. Misty however continued to take a sip of her drink as the shaking continued to increase every second. He ran across the room to check outside from the nearby window to see if anything had fallen on the street.

"Hmm, maybe it's not so powerful-" He immediately stopped himself as he saw a huge purple stream of blue flames rocket through the streets below. "What the f-"

A huge sound of explosions rocked the room for a second. Jaxon witnessed a few buildings being destroyed the moment the flames pierced through their walls. The shaking was now clearly recognizable from the inside.

"Misty! There's a huge line of purple flames ravaging the streets! How is this possible?!" He looked at Misty trying to gain her attention. She however looked like she was focused on the floor in front of her rather than listening to Jaxon.

Jaxon quickly took the time to call up Yusei to remind him of what was going on.

Jaxon: Yusei!

Yusei: Jaxon? What's going on around here?

Jaxon: Do you feel that? You feel the ground shaking?

Yusei: Yea I feel that as well! Is it just a natural earthquake?

Jaxon: I wish! But it's not! There's literally, huge purple flames suddenly sparkling across many of these streets outside of this big hotel building!

Yusei: What?!

Jaxon: You heard me!

Yusei: Well what should we do?! I'm currently at a hideout right now. Where are you?

Jaxon: I'm at the tall building near downtown New Domino. I'm seeing everything from up here out of a window!

Yusei: Here, I'll be right over as soon as I can!

Jaxon: No! I'm with someone right now, I'm ok right now!

Yusei: Are you really sure?

Jaxon: Yes, in fact. This person I'm with has told me about the story of her brother and how me and her have a plan to take out the entire Arcadia Movement in one night!

Yusei: Wait, the Arcadia Movement?

Jaxon: Yes. Remember that dark red headed guy that we saw before my duel with Akiza? It seems like he's part of our plan to take him out.

Yusei: You mean Sayer? That guy is non trustworthy to me!

Jaxon: So it looks like he's one of our targets. There's also Akiza, who the woman I am with told Carly that she was responsible for her brother's death.

Yusei: What?

Jaxon: I know! It's all weird and a lot of information. But I made a deal with her, and I can't back away now.

Yusei: Understandable, I hope you'll be ok after all of this ruckus is calmed down.

Jaxon: Me too. I'll call you back soon after we take care of things.

Yusei: Copy that. Stay safe Jax.

Jaxon: You too!

*End of Call*

Sayer, who was looking from near the top of the building also felt the effect of the sudden shaking.

"Well this isn't good!" He said to himself as he ran to his desk and picked up his phone to notify his faculty of the movement to evacuate it's members out of the building.

"Carly…" She whispered her name. Jaxon quickly ran to Misty who he thought that Misty was so scared at the point of being in total shock.

"Hey! Do you know what's happening?! All of this shaking? You realize what's going on?!" He yelled.

"Yes. It means that it is time." Misty said to him. She took another sip of her drink as if the shaking wasn't happening.

"Time to evacuate?! Duh! We gotta get out of here and get to level ground!" Jaxon reached for Misty's open left hand, but Misty pulled it back at the last second.

"You need to relax." She said to him. "We're ok."

"Are you kidding me? We are right in the middle…" Jaxon slowed down his words as the shaking quickly dissipated and stopped shortly after. "Of an earthquake…"

"See? I told you we were ok." Misty reminded him as he pointed out her window.

"Maybe _we_ are, but how about those outside?" He walked over to the window once again, seeing the huge purple flames continue to burn different parts of many streets surrounding the building.

"Don't worry about it. Instead, you should focus on our plan." She said.

"Our plan? You mean, what you discussed late last night?" Jaxon asked.

"Yes, I can feel her presence. She's nearby." Misty then stood up from her sofa. "I hope you brought your duel disk and your deck with you up here."

"Of course I did, I always prepare myself for anything." Jaxon quickly pulled out his disk and deck. He attached the arm handle onto himself and pushed his deck into the disk's deck holder.

"Perfect. Now just follow me. I know exactly where she's located." Misty told him as she and he walked towards the door.

"Wait, are you talking about Akiza?" He asked.

"Yes. It's time to avenge my brother." She quickly opened the door, which nearly startled Jaxon. He could start to feel the anger escape Misty's body, which made him think that her hatred of Akiza was not just of pure anger, but also combined with a surge of dark power from her being.

"_She did tell me that she was a Dark Signer. She must have something up her sleeve when she confronts Akiza."_

"Let's go." Misty walked out of the doorway with Jaxon following suit. Both he and Misty quickly walked to the other side of the floor and approached the elevator.

"Ok, here's what I will tell you. Do you know where the office of the movement's leader is?" She asked.

"You mean Sayer's office? No, I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders.

"His office is located on the second to last floor of this building. Once we're on the floor where the witch is, I'll signal you to be on your way." Misty said as the two stepped inside the elevator once the doors opened up.

"I'm going to end up dueling the leader of the movement, am I?" Jaxon abruptly asked.

"Yes you will. You're ok and up to the task, right?" Misty asked. Jaxon then smiled suddenly. He wanted to get his hands on the movement's leader ever since he confronted him at the Fortune Cup.

"Heh, count me in, 100%" He responded.

"Excellent. Together, we're going to take down this movement by any means necessary." Misty smiled in an evil way. Jaxon could feel even more sense of power resonating from her.

"If it by means, does better for the city and as long as it's with you. I never say no to such a thing." Jaxon smiled back at her.

Both of them waited at least another few seconds for the elevator to ring. Once they reach the floor, the elevator rings out a single ting sound from it's speakers. Misty's once sadistic smile turned into a near expression of anger; she was ready to take care of business.

"_Damn, looks like she's ready for war!" _He thought as the elevator doors opened, leaving the walking path open for the two. Jaxon then could hear a voice coming from the other side, almost as if someone was looking or searching for someone.

"I hear her." Misty said.

"I hear her as well." Jaxon responded. "Shall we?"

"Let's go." Misty and Jaxon then proceeded ahead towards the open area in front of them. As they were walking ahead, Misty saw Akiza from afar out of the dark pathway across the floor from them. Her eyes were locked on her.

"There she is, let's go." Misty quickened her pace as Jaxon kept up behind her. "I'll give you the signal to head your way up when I have the chance." She said to Jaxon's ear. He nodded without saying another word as his eyes were also locked on Akiza.

Akiza at the time was looking for her leader Sayer, who previously dealt with Carly back in his office. She thought that whatever Sayer was doing wouldn't take him long, but now that some time has passed, she had no choice but to look for him.

"Hello? Sayer? Are you here? Anyone?" Akiza said in the distance. "Hello? Come on, stop kidding around!"

"Looking for someone?" Misty projected her voice so that it would catch Akiza's attention. Her attention then turned to her left, where Misty and Jaxon were walking towards her. While Akiza didn't quite recognize Misty, her eyes quickly glued onto Jaxon who defeated her in the Fortune Cup.

"I'm afraid that Sayer is unfortunately, what should I say, occupied." Misty turned her head towards Akiza's direction with Jaxon at her side.

"Wait, Jaxon? Is that you?" Akiza asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Akiza, I'm glad that you recognize the very person that defeated you in the Fortune Cup. However, I wouldn't worry so much about my presence. I would rather have you be worried about the woman to my left." Jaxon responded.

Akiza quickly gazed her eyes over to Misty. She immediately knew who she was just by her looks. She saw her appearance in many advertisements on magazines and billboards all over New Domino City.

"Wait, aren't you that model that's all over the city?" Akiza asked Misty. Initially, Misty didn't answer and continued her death stare at the Black Rose for another few seconds.

"I happen to have a name you know. It's Misty." She responded. "You happen to be famous yourself aren't you, Miss Akiza? Or do you prefer, Black Rose?"

"Both. I am indeed Akiza, and also known as the Black Rose. Why ask?" Akiza wondered why Misty would want to know who to call her by. She didn't know, but Misty had a reason to.

"So I can ask you this. Tell me, are you _really_ a witch?" Her voice resonated with more of a sense of anger as she processed her words.

"A witch? Of course I am a witch Misty. A powerful witch to be exact." She answered.

"Good. I've waited and prepared a long time for this exact moment, the moment I finally take my revenge upon you!" Misty shouted. Akiza was startled for a split second. She couldn't understand why someone like Misty would confront such a duelist like Akiza for no reason.

"What? What do you mean 'revenge'?" Confused, Akiza asked Misty, but Misty wasn't having it.

"Enough of your bullsh*t and lies! You know exactly what I mean!" Misty cursed. "Do you remember the day you lost control of your powers during a duel in Downtown Domino?"

"Yes." Akiza confirmed.

"Well, my brother went to see you duel that day, and he died because of your careless and reckless actions!" Misty's voice rang even louder through the floor space.

"Huh? Your brother?" Akiza had no idea who Misty's brother was. She didn't even know he was with the vicinity of her duel and of the debris that had fallen to the ground as the buildings collapsed at the end of her duel.

"That's right. You killed my brother!" Misty yelled again.

"But there were no casualties reported by Sector Security! That's not possible!" Akiza emphasized heavily.

"Oh really? Then how do you explain that I went to find my brother, only to find him in a BODY BAG in a building nearby?!" Akiza then slowly backs away from Misty as her voice continued to increase in volume almost every second.

"I'm going to give you one chance to admit your actions the easy way. Admit that you killed my brother!" She shouted at Akiza.

"I didn't kill him! I told you there were no casualties reported that day! I already said it once!" Akiza responded back.

"So be it then, I guess you want to do this the hard way. You leave me with no choice!" Misty then looked at Jaxon and nudged her hand against him, catching his attention.

"_You remember the location of the room of the Arcadia's leader, right?" _She whispered into his ear.

"_Of course."_ Jaxon whispered back.

"_Good, now go." _She commanded as Jaxon quickly dashed to his right, where a corridor like path was located. Akiza quickly noticed Jaxon as he began to take off.

"Wait, Jaxon! Where are you going?!" Akiza asked, but Jaxon didn't answer. He continued to run as fast as he could with his deck and duel disk equipped, ready for battle.

"I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. You should focus on what's in front of you Miss Akiza!" Misty's voice once again caught Akiza's attention. Akiza actually knew where Jaxon was heading towards; Sayer's office.

Where's Jaxon going?! Tell me!" Akiza yelled out.

"He's about to take care of someone, someone that you call, 'Sayer'." Misty laughed in an evil way. Akiza's eyes widened after hearing Misty's words.

"Sayer?!" Akiza yelled. "Oh no…"

Jaxon shortly found an elevator in front of him. He stopped himself from running into the elevator doors and quickly pressed the door button. He could still hear Misty bickering behind him but couldn't figure out what she was saying.

"Yea, she's pissed off for sure." Jaxon said to himself as the doors open in front of him. He quickly stepped inside and looked for the second highest number among many of the floor buttons. He remembered Misty saying that his office was located on the second to last floor.

"Well, this second to last number must be it." He then pressed the button and quickly, the doors shut tight and quickly carried Jaxon up towards the top of the building.

As he ascended to the top, he took one more look at his deck to make sure all of his cards were with him. After confirming them, he slid it back into the deck holder within his disk.

The elevator then pinged, revealing that Jaxon had made it to the appropriate floor. The doors then quickly open in front of Jaxon. Immediately, he notices that the path ahead of him was completely dark.

A sinister feeling trembles across Jaxon's body from head to toe. Something to him doesn't feel right.

"It feels like something bad happened here. Almost like someone died on this floor." He said to himself as the darkness sort of lightened a bit. He could start to see a pair of closed doors ahead of his view. He then grabbed the cross that hung from the chain around his neck, closed his eyes, and prayed for protection from evil.

"_All glory to you, heavenly father." _He said as he slightly pointed towards the skies above and went on with his journey. As he walked on, he could hear a voice coming from the double doors in front of him. It had to be Sayer; his voice sounds just like him. He sounded like he was demanding someone to check reports of any damage to the building.

Jaxon then slowly tip towed towards the doors and leaned his right ear against the wooden doors to get a better hearing of what Sayer was saying.

"_I need a report on the damage right now! Get everyone evacuated! Now! We don't have much time!" _His voice barely rang through the doors. Jaxon knew at that point; it was him. It was time to confront the leader and destroy the movement once and for all.

"I guess it's time. Let's do this." He smiled and tipped his cap as he reached for the knob. He slowly turned the knob to the right, which he slowly pulled towards him and the door opened a second later. He stepped inside, revealing Sayer sitting and talking to a fellow Arcadia member over the phone.

He then shut the door behind him and walked towards Sayer. Sayer then quickly caught attention of Jaxon's sudden presence. He immediately put his phone down and yelled at Jaxon to leave the building immediately. He did so without right away recognizing who he was yelling at.

"Hey! What are you doing here?! Get out of the building now!" Sayer yelled. Jaxon didn't budge and continued towards Sayer.

"Me? Get out? I'm afraid it's too late for me to go back now." Jaxon responded. "I'm here to take out the garbage, and that garbage… is YOU."

Sayer quickly reminded a member that he would call him back quickly and sat the phone on the receiver stand where it originally was. Sayer squinted his eyes in an attempt to get a better look at who was coming at him.

"Wait, who are you?" Sayer asked.

"Don't recognize me? That's a shame." Jaxon hissed while the dark shadows of the room covered his appearance. "Here, I'll show you who I am."

The light from the outside and the purple fire still burning on the ground below reflected upon Jaxon as he walked across the refraction of the light beaming in the room. Sayer stood up in shock after catching a glimpse of the face of Jaxon.

"You…" Sayer growled under his breath while clenching his fists and jaw in anger.

"Ahh, now you know who I am. It's about damn time you figured that out." Jaxon said as he stood nearly halfway from Sayer.

"How did you get up here? No one except Arcadia members has access to these floors!" Sayer asked.

"That should be none of your concern. You should be more concerned about the person standing right in front of you." Jaxon then looked at the broken glass behind Sayer. He wanted some answers out of Sayer that had concerned him ever since he felt that pain in his chest awhile ago.

"Let me guess, you killed someone up here, didn't you?" Jaxon pointed at the broken glass behind Sayer.

"Hehehe, of course I did. There was no other choice." Sayer sadistically smirked. "That rat decided to infiltrate some very top secret documents about my members. I didn't want her to expose that information to the crooked media, so I decided to duel her!"

"It didn't take long for the duel to end as she proved to be nothing but a weakling. There she fell, her life ended before her lifeless body hit the ground." Sayer then laughed at the thought of the death of Carly, in which Jaxon didn't know at the time.

Jaxon, ruling in anger, wanted to know who was the woman that was killed.

"Who did you kill? Tell me!" Jaxon yelled at Sayer.

"I didn't know her name at first, but she did mention one time that her name was, Carly Carmine… yeah, Carly Carmine." Sayer reminded Jaxon.

Immediately, Jaxon felt like a sword pierced through his chest. He dropped to his knees as he put his hands over his heart. He then started to see visions of him saving Carly the night of Yusei's duel against the shadow drone.

"Carly… I saved her life that night… and it was all for absolutely nothing." He said as he sped up his breathing as his emotions started to get out of control.

"Aww, what's wrong? Sad that you couldn't save your pathetic friend a second time? Hahaha!" Sayer continued to laugh as Jaxon started to feel a stream of tears escaping his eyes.

"_No, she can't be gone! She couldn't do such a stupid thing!" _He thought.

"Regardless of what you do from now on, nothing will bring her back. There's nothing that you can do! Hahahaha!" Sayer rejoiced at the sight of Jaxon's breakdown.

Jaxon then felt his mark along his arm pulsate suddenly. He looked at it with his tear filled eyes and was surprised to see the mark appear. Not because of it's random appearance, but rather the color change of the mark.

"_My mark… why is it… purple?!" _He thought as he continued to look in amaze. Sayer himself was even surprised as his smile disappeared quickly upon the sight of Jaxon's mark.

A rush of a random source of energy suddenly sparks inside Jaxon and jolts across his entire body. Jaxon was in near complete agony as his mark resonated with more power every second. He tried his best to contain the pain by grabbing his arm, but the energy had already spread.

Then, from out of nowhere, he heard a voice from the distance. He could hear his name being called out by a voice which sounded to be feminine, however he couldn't recognize who was calling out to him.

"_Jaxon…" _He then could hear his name being called by some sort of monster spirit from one of his cards. He then looked into his deck that was attached to his duel disk and realized that one out of his many cards started to glow in a bluish color.

Fighting the pain, he slowly pulled out the glowing card. His eyes widened when he found out that the glowing card was 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys'!

"_Cerulean? Are you trying to call out to me?" _He thought while staring at his glowing card.

"_Jaxon…" _The voice resonated louder than before, catching Jaxon full attention. At that point, he was one hundred percent sure that it was indeed Cerulean, who was calling out to him. He started to look around the room randomly in an attempt to search for his monster's spirit, but with no luck.

Then out of nowhere, an air of mist spews out of Jaxon's card, and hurls up above him. The mist soon starts to take a tornado like shape as it circles above in speeds increasing every second. Sounding winds filled the small darkened room just like winds in a severe storm. Before Jaxon or Sayer could even think for a second, a flash of light quickly fills the room with brightness before quickly fading away. Jaxon opened his eyes once the light quickly dimmed.

Unbelievably and shocking to Jaxon, Cerulean appeared before his presence. The phoenix was nothing short of enormous, nearly equivalent to the height of the ceiling high above Jaxon. It's wings spew out ashes of blue flames every time the blue phoenix flaps its wings back and forth.

The appearance of the mighty Cerulean almost represented a God or Goddess appearing right in front of the eyes of their own people. Jaxon tried his best to calm his breathing, but it nearly backfired considering his ace monster appeared in literally under fifteen seconds. He didn't know why Cerulean was here, but he knew there was a reason.

"Cerulean…" Jaxon mumbled while glimpsing at his phoenix. Sayer in the back looked to be in a state of shock, unable to even move a muscle or even use his own voice box to speak out of his mouth.

"_Young champion, it is time to complete your task. You shall not worry about your fallen friend anymore." _The echo of the mighty phoenix bounced off the walls.

"Wait, why? Sayer killed her… I saved her life for nothing!" Jaxon yelled out.

"_Why? Because she is not truly dead." _Cerulean shocked Jaxon.

"Wait, she's not dead?! Where is she?! Tell me! Let me check on her!" He begged his monster.

"_You have a bigger task to complete. The Arcadia Movement must be destroyed once and for all!" _Cerulean then starts to fade away. At the same time, Jaxon collapses as his legs give up on him suddenly. He tried to stand back up, but it was no use.

"W-wait! Cerulean! Don't leave me!" He yelled at the fading firebird.

"_You shouldn't worry, I'll be in your deck and ready for battle when the time comes. For now, your goal is to destroy this fool for thinking that he actually ended someone's life!" _The last fading remnants of Cerulean disappear, along with her, the blue flames and the beaming light that once filled the room.

The room once again was dark. With Jaxon still on the ground struggling to stand, Sayer looked confused.

"Well, I guess that was all for nothing. You decided to barge into my space and you somehow end up lying on the ground with no energy left to stand. You're more pathetic than I thought!" Sayer bluntly blurted out.

Jaxon finally felt his legs regaining their senses. He then slowly rose himself up from the hard carpet floors and slightly laughed in response.

"Hehehe. You're calling _me_ pathetic?" He squinted his eyes towards Sayer, who's smile quickly faded away after witnessing Jaxon stand up after his arrogant statement.

"Oh boy, am I about to pull the biggest uno reverse card on your disgusting, conniving, and manipulative ass!" He then raised his duel disk up to his chest and activated duel mode.

"You have nowhere left to run or hide now! It's time you pay for your crimes against humanity!" He pulled his deck out and slid it back in order to shuffle it. Sayer then opened the drawers on his desk, pulling out his duel disk and cards. He also activated his disk into duel mode.

"So, the so-called Fortune Cup winner has decided to be a fool and wants to duel a psychic duelist just to avenge your friend? How amusing, but also foolish…" Sayer slid his deck into the deck holder, shuffling it in the process. "I'll show you the true power as the leader of the Arcadia Movement! And once I'm done with you, Akiza and I will use our powers to take over New Domino, but also the whole world with i-"

The front door suddenly makes an opening sound. Neither duelist could see what was at the doorway. Sayer squinted his eyes at the doorway, only to see a figure nearly half his height enter the room. The shadows of the dark end of the room prevented both from recognizing who he/she was.

"Hey! What are you doing here? I'm settling a score with someone, give us some space will ya?!" Sayer asked loudly. No answer followed after.

"But, I'm here to ask you for a rematch, Sayer." A feminine voice rings out suddenly. The footsteps could be heard gradually getting louder every step that's taken.

"Wait, there's no way…" Sayer caught a glimpse of the person who walked in. A sudden purple bolt of lightning struck the ground behind Sayer. The brightness of the light shined away the shadows, where a familiar face was standing.

Jaxon wasted no time looking behind him as soon as the lightning strike appeared. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He not only saw a woman with pavement smudges all over her clothes and her black hair being all messy, he saw someone that he thought was killed and somehow survived.

"Carly!" Jaxon quickly ran over to Carly who stood in complete silence and starred in the distance with her slightly colored altered eyes.

"How are you alive?! I thought you died!" Jaxon said to her. Once again, silence was all she displayed. Not even moving a slight muscle.

"Carly? Are you ok? Can you hear me?" Jaxon snapped his fingers right in Carly's face in order to somehow get a response out of her. Seconds later, he could see a small purple light beginning to intense below him.

It was a mark, a mark similar to Jaxon's. A purple glowing mark that represented some sort of bird figure. Once he got a clear look at the mark, he noticed the long beak and the large wings present on Carly's arm.

"Yes. I can hear you, loud and clear." Carly sounded nearly robotic as she spoke for the first time after her fall from the same floor nearly just minutes ago. She then slowly raises her arm that the mark appeared on and took a glaring look at it.

"It seems that the Dark Signers have recruited me to their cause." She states while looking at her mark. "It also looks like they recruited you as well."

"Oh, me? I- I think my mark is just special, it doesn't have the similar figure shape like yours does." Jaxon stuttered. "It looks cool though! It was red at one point, then I think it turned blue during my match with Jack, and now it's purple! I wonder why it's purple though…"

"Probably because you're next to a Dark Signer, and while you claim that you aren't one or aren't 'recruited', you hold similar powers within yourself." Carly elegantly tells Jaxon.

"Interesting." Jaxon said, and nothing else.

"As for you Sayer, don't even think for a second that I'm nothing but a hallucination. I'm real and right in front of your eyes." Carly turned her attention to Sayer. "And with the power of the Dark Signers, I will have my revenge!"

"Wait, what? What do you mean revenge?" Sayer asked.

Carly didn't say another word. Instead, she raised her marked, covered arm in front of her chest. Almost right away, a circular shape purple beam of light surrounded Carly. Jaxon quickly backed away and shielded his eyes like he did earlier. Carly started to change form suddenly with her clothes being changed without being removed from her body. A new surge of life and power began to jolt within Carly's being.

"Carly?" Sayer said as he looked at the beam of light.

"THIS, is the beginning of the end, for you!" Carly began to appear once again, but this time with a different appearance. Her legs were more exposed as she could be seen wearing black boots and a partial black and orange wardrobe on her upper body. She appeared with her arms extended out to both sides of her body with her duel disk on her left arm.

She quickly opened her eyes, and Sayer with no hesitation, responded with a shocked hesitation. Her eyes were no longer white and blue, rather completely black with lightened black pupils sticking out.

"No, this is impossible! You're a Dark Signer!?" Sayer asked.

"That's right Sayer, and with all of these new powers I possess, you have nowhere to go but to your own demise!" Carly yelled out.

"Wait, hold on a second! I was here first! I got dibs before you arrived!" Jaxon jokingly jabbed at Carly.

"Meh who cares, it's ladies first you know? Where's your manners?" Carly quickly responded. "Besides, you were not here first. I was here when I was my weak self when I fell out of the building earlier!"

"Nah nah nah, I ain't playing your games! I'm the Fortune Cup champion and the number one ranked duelist in the world! Let me handle this; it'll last about one turn less than your previous duel!" Jaxon immediately said back.

"Grrr! Your style is too classic! Ritual monsters are a thing in the past! Synchro summoning is the way to go!" Carly jabbed right back. "You don't even know how to Synchro Summon anyways!"

"Umm, I Synchro Summon a Synchro monster against Jack once." Jaxon calmly toned down his voice. "Remember that move I made?"

"You didn't even do it- wait, you actually Synchro Summoned?" Carly asked surprisingly.

"Yea, I used a counter trap to special summon it from my extra deck without Synchro Summoning. It was easy." Jaxon explained the move to Carly.

"Bah! You did it the cheap way! That doesn't count!" Carly yelled out.

"Oh whatever! I did it anyway whenever you liked it or not!" Jaxon said right back while almost bursting out laughing. Carly smiled for the second time, almost catching a laugh as well.

"Alright! Enough of this!" Sayer suddenly blurted out.

"So I got someone that wants to duel me in order to destroy my movement, and I have someone that's trying to get their revenge on me." Sayer explained to himself. "This is just great! Now since the two of you are here, I now have the chance to show to you that I am someone that you should never pick a fight with!"

"Wait, what are you trying to say?" Jaxon asked.

"You know what I'm saying. I want to duel the two of you, right here, right now! None of you are powerful enough to defeat me anyways!" Sayer yells.

"Really? A 2 on 1 tag duel? Wouldn't that be unfair to you?" Jaxon asked him.

"No, it's completely fair. After all, you both have never faced a powerful psychic duelist like me before!" Sayer answered back.

"Hmm, I like this idea. I accept your challenge!" Carly agreed. "Wouldn't you agree as well Jaxon?"

Jaxon then looked over to Sayer. While his plan of dueling him alone was pretty much compromised, he couldn't back out of a task that Misty planned out. He needed to finish the job whatever the cost.

"You know, I never thought that I would be teaming up with a Dark Signer, especially with you since you hold a lot of dark and sinister powers." Jaxon then looked at Sayer once again after taking his eyes off the floor. "But this guy has caused enough damage to my love. I wanted to duel this guy for a while now, and if I have to team up with the evil side this one time just to defeat you Sayer, I'll gladly make a deal with the devil and happily end your worthless path of pain and misery to those you affected because of your inhumane actions!"

Both he and Carly then simultaneously raise their duel disks and activate them. Sayer, hesitant at first, also raised his disk and activated it. The battle that Jaxon waited for had finally arrived, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on Arcadia's leader.

"So be it then." Sayer's final words before the room would transform in color. Originally dark and black, the effects of the duel field lightened the entire room with a purple-pinkish color, giving light to a sinister place.

"Now that my love is on his way to take care of your dear leader, I think it's only appropriate that we settle the score, here and now!" Misty proceeded to walk towards Akiza.

"Fine! If you want to settle this by dueling, then let's go!" Akiza quickly replied.

"If I am honest, this is something I've planned for quite some time Miss Akiza. This opportunity now allows me to finally make use of my powers I have acquired recently." She then faces Akiza, who stood nearly halfway from the other end of the marble pathway. "Don't let my looks and my beauty deceive you. I am a Dark Signer, and I'm here to end you once and for all!"

"A Dark Signer?" Akiza was confused. She didn't know or have ever heard of a 'Dark Signer' before. Misty started to show her by rising her arms to her chest. A mark, just like what Jaxon and Carly obtained, brightly appeared on her right arm. Her mark instead of representing a hummingbird, represented more like a lizard.

Nearly at the same time, Akiza's mark on her arm appeared for the first time since her battle with Jaxon.

"_Gasp! _My sign!" Akiza said as she quickly took notice of her mark, which happened to represent one part of the Crimson Dragon.

On the other side, a purple aura of light suddenly surrounded Misty. A powerful wind could be felt throughout the entire floor as the light quickly engulfed Misty, which was bright enough to have Akiza shield her eyes temporarily.

Misty appeared from the light, but not in her normal way. Instead, her clothes in color changed from white and light blue, to black with green outlines all over. A duel disk also was attached to her left arm.

Her eyes once she opened them were similar to that of Carly. A black color mostly made up the eye texture with only blue pupils standing out.

"So this is what you 'Dark Signers' look like?" Akiza asked.

"Of course! But I wouldn't worry more about the looks Akiza!" Misty replied as the ground started to violently shake. "I would be more concerned about what's about to happen once I finish you!"

The shaking of the ground could be felt where Jaxon, Carly, and Sayer were located. Jaxon, unprepared for the sudden aftershock, fell to the floor after losing his balance.

"Another one?!" He yelled out.

"Didn't we just go through one already!?" Sayer yelled out.

Carly happened to be the only one not reacting to the shaking. She stood completely still, just like a statue. Her eyes were solely on Arcadia's leader and nothing else.

Once the shaking finally subdued. The three duelists drew their hands from their decks and were ready for battle.

"Let's Duel!" The three said in unison.

"You have nowhere to run Akiza!" Misty yelled out while in her new appearance.

"That may be, but thankfully, I came here prepared!" Akiza walked over to a nearby marble wall, where one of the panels quickly opened towards Akiza. Inside, a pink duel disk with her deck of cards inside was present. Akiza quickly equipped her duel disk and shuffled her deck.

"Since you decided to barge into Arcadia territory, I have no other choice but to defend my home! I'm not gonna let some 'Dark Signer' walk into my territory without any resistance!" Akiza and Misty both drew their starting hands of five cards.

"Let's do this!" Both duelists yell out, commencing the start of Misty's plan of the destruction of the Arcadia Movement.

**Sayer: 4000 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 4000 LP**

"Let me take control of this first turn!" Jaxon yelled out. "I draw!"

_*Draws Card*_

"I'll begin this duel by activating the spell card, 'Pre-Preparation of Rites'! This spell card allows me to add 1 Ritual spell card from my deck to my hand! Also, this effect allows me to add 1 Ritual monster from my deck to my hand as long as it's name is within that Ritual spell!"

After adding his Ritual spell to his hand, he searches for his ace monster that he always would rely on.

"_There you are!" _He thought.

"Since 'Rebirth of Nephthys' has 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys' is within this Ritual spell. I can add that monster from my deck to my hand as well!" Jaxon pulled out and revealed his monster to Sayer.

"No way…" Sayer reacted.

"I'll save her for later though. I would feel bad for my partner over here if she didn't get the chance to get into the action. I'll go ahead and summon 'Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands' in attack mode! (Level: 4/ ATK:1400/DEF:1000) Next, I activate Manju's effect! Since I normal summoned him, I can add 1 more Ritual spell card from my deck to my hand! I'll add another copy of 'Rebirth of Nephthys' from my deck to my hand!"

"I'll waste no time activating 'Rebirth of Nephthys' from my hand! I sacrifice 'Chronicler of Nephthys' from my hand to Ritual summon the Level 2 monster, 'Connector of Nephthys'! (Level: 2/ ATK: 2000/DEF: 0)" Jaxon's new monster quickly springs out to the field.

"Are you done yet?!" Sayer yelled out impatiently.

"I will be, soon enough! But first, I activate Connector's special ability! When I Ritual summon this monster, I can special summon another Ritual monster from my deck!" Jaxon revealed.

"Another Ritual monster?!" Sayer yelled out in shock.

"You're damn right!" Jaxon says back as he takes out his ace monster from his hand. "My great phoenix, rise from the ashes and be reborn to avenge your failures! Come forth, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys! (Level: 8/ ATK:3000/DEF:1000)"

Like many other times before, Jaxon's phoenix appears out of a blue flame essence in the middle of the field. A loud roaring call could be heard out of the impressive being. The ground around them began to shake, although not as hard as the last time the ground shook.

The sudden appearance of the great phoenix still sent Sayer to the ground, not because of the shaking, but in shock. He may have seen it from afar in the Fortune Cup, but close up, a different story.

"_Very impressive… I've never felt so much power resonating from him before. No wonder why he won that tournament in the first place!" _Carly processed while witnessing Cerulean take the field.

"I'll set a card face down and end my turn." Jaxon signals. "Hope you're happy that it's your turn now!

"I gotta say, you would make a good Dark Signer duelist with moves like those!" Carly told Jaxon.

"I'm no Dark Signer, just a duelist with a mark, and a purpose to defeat evil when the time is necessary." Jaxon said with no emotion as he stared at Sayer who slowly rose himself up from the floor.

"Since I can't attack since it's the first turn of the duel, I'll lay a card face down and hand the turn over to you." He signals. "I would really think hard and quick about your first move Sayer, and I wish I could say the same thing to your friend Akiza."

"Wait, what do you mean? Why mention Akiza?" Sayer wondered.

"I believe what he's trying to say is that your friend is in, I should say, in a tough spot right now!"

"Akiza!" Sayer now had to deal not only with two opponents, but also deal with the thoughts of Akiza's safety.

**Akiza: 4000 LP/ Misty: 4000 LP**

"My move first!" Akiza yelled as she drew. "I'll begin this duel by summoning 'Glow-Up Bulb in attack mode! (Level: 1/ ATK: 100/DEF: 100) And since my 'Glow-Up Bulb' is a plant type tuner monster, I can and will, special summon 'White Rose Dragon' directly from my hand! (Level: 4?/ ATK: 1200/DEF: 1000)"

"Now, I think it's time for my 'Glow-Up Bulb' to give 'White Rose Dragon' a tune up!" Triplets of green circles start to gather around the two summoned monsters. "I tune my level 4 'White Rose Dragon' with my level 1 'Glow-Up Bulb' to Synchro Summon, 'Garden Rose Maiden'! (Level: 5/ ATK: 1600/DEF: 2400)"

"My 'Garden Rose Maiden' may look a little too sweet by her appearance, but her special abilities make her more dangerous just like Sirens out in the ocean! You see, when 'Garden Rose Maiden' is special summoned, I get to add 1 'Black Garden' field spell from my deck to my hand." Akiza quickly pulls out her field spell from her deck and adds it to her hand.

"Now, I'll activate the 'Black Garden' field spell! Now everytime you summon a monster by any means, your monsters lose half of their attack points, and a 'Rose Token' will appear on my side of the field!" Akiza explained thoroughly.

"That's not all, I activate the 'Thorn of Malice' equip spell! Now my 'Garden Rose Maiden' gains an additional 600 attack points, which brings it's attack points to 2200! I'll end my turn with a face down!" Akiza signaled the end of her turn.

"Impressive turn, Miss Akiza. I thought you would summon out your 'Black Rose Dragon' early in the duel." Misty briefly complimented. "But it's also disappointing that I have to wait just a little bit longer to finally put an end to you. It's my move now!"

**Akiza: 4000 LP/ Misty: 4000 LP**

"I draw!" Misty begins to execute her first move. "I will begin my journey to victory by first, summoning 'Reptilianne Scylla'! (Level: 4/ ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200)"

Before Misty explained her next move, she witnessed her Scylla being wrapped by the massive thorns of the garden surrounding both Akiza and Misty.

"I guess you were thinking about your brother too much when I explained the effects of my 'Black Garden' field spell! Since you summoned a monster, her attack points are cut in half, and a 'Rose Token' is automatically summoned onto my side of the field!" Akiza reminded her. Misty could feel a little imaginary dagger going through her chest.

"Of course, a person like you would mention my brother that way. It's almost like you never cared about him and the others you harmed that day…" Misty said. "But it's fine, saying that makes you look stupid because I'm nowhere close to being done! I activate the effect of 'Reptilianne Lamia' from my hand! Since I control a face up Reptile monster, I can target one monster on the field, and change it's attack points all the way down to zero!"

"Wait what?! Zero attack points?!" Akiza startled as she witnessed the power of her maiden being stripped and drained away.

"Since I used Lamia's effect from my hand and successfully drained your monster's attack points, I can special summon her to the field!" Misty brings out her Lamia to the field. Just like last time, Misty's monster is wrapped by the garden's thorns and Lamia's attack points get cut in half, and another Rose Token appears on Akiza's field.

"You may have this 'Black Garden' spell supporting you, but I'm not finished yet! I activate the spell card, 'De-Spell'! This allows me to destroy your 'Black Garden' field spell!" Akiza's garden, quickly turns into a brownish color before crumbling and disappearing after the smoke quickly clears out.

"My garden!" Akiza cried out.

"Now, I tune my level 4 'Reptilianne Scylla' with my level 2 'Reptilianne Lamia'! I Synchro Summon, 'Reptilianne Hydra'! (Level: 6/ ATK: 2100/DEF: 1500)" Misty's five-headed hydra makes its grand appearance on the field.

"I told you to not let my looks and appearance fool you, because this is the result when you take a look at what is inside of me as a Dark Signer! Someone who is sinister, heartless, and evil!" She proclaimed as she thought of her next move.

"I activate 'Hydra's' special ability! When this card is Synchro Summoned, all monsters with 0 attack points are destroyed! That means you're 'Garden Rose Maiden' goes bye-bye!" Misty points to Akiza's monster as Akiza witnesses Hydra shatter maiden to bits within a few seconds.

"You'll pay for that!" Akiza yelled out.

"'Hydra's' effect also allows me to draw one card for every monster destroyed, since I destroyed one monster, I get to draw one card from my deck!" Misty quickly draws and sets the card in her hand. "Now 'Reptilianne Hydra', attack and destroy Akiza's 'Rose Token' to the left!"

Akiza's 'Rose Token' is immediately vanquished, although she still had one other 'Rose Token' on her field.

"I'll set a facedown and end my turn. If I were you, I would make your next turn count as much as possible! Your dear leader seems to have his hands full at the moment!" Misty laughed in an evil way.

"Grr! I'm gonna make you both pay soon enough!" Akiza said.

**Sayer: 4000 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 4000 LP**

"It's about time you ended your turn. I draw! First I activate the continuous spell card, 'Teleport'! As long as I pay 800 life points and I don't control any monsters while you do, I can special summon a psychic-type monster from my hand! I'll Special Summon 'Destructotron' (Level: 4/ ATK: 1600/DEF: 400)! Next, I'll Normal Summon the level 3 tuner monster, 'Mental Seeker' (Level: 3/ ATK: 800/DEF: 600)!"

"Before the real fun part begins, I'll activate 'Destructotron's' effect! By paying 1000 life points, I can destroy one set card on your field! I'll use its effect to destroy your face down card!" Sayer commanded out loud.

"Not so fast Sayer! I activate my trap card, 'Awakening of Nephthys'!" Jaxon quickly intervened. "Now all 'Nephthys' monsters I control gain 300 attack points!"

"Hahaha! How foolish of you! That card will be nothing but a mere memory once my monster destroys it!" Sayer didn't lie. The card was destroyed within seconds, but Jaxon knew what Sayer didn't.

"Actually, it won't just be a memory. You see, when 'Awakening of Nephthys' is destroyed while face-up on my field, I can Special Summon a 'Nephthys' monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard, but it is destroyed during the end phase of this turn. I'll use its effect to Special Summon 'Matriarch of Nephthys' (Level: 2/ ATK: 600/DEF: 600) from my deck in defense mode!" Jaxon quickly brings out his monster to the field, now he has three monsters compared to Sayer's two monsters.

"Pretty nice field you have there, but I'm just getting started! I tune my level 4 'Destructotron' with my level 3 'Mental Seeker', to Synchro Summon 'Psychic Lifetrancer' (Level: 7/ ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000)!" Sayer brings out one of his many monsters he would normally summon when he's backed up against the wall at any time.

"'Psychic Lifetrancer', attack and destroy Jaxon's 'Connector of Nephthys'!" The attack and force of Sayer's monster causes Jaxon to cautiously shield himself to protect himself.

"Grrr." Jaxon growled.

"Now to finish off my turn, I set two face downs and activate 'Psychic Lifetrancer's' special ability! By banishing 1 psychic monster from my graveyard, I gain 1200 life points! Now let's see what this little news reporter here has to say about it!" Sayer signals to Carly, ending his turn.

With the end phase beginning, Jaxon's 'Matriarch of Nephthys' is destroyed and sent to the graveyard. Cerulean was alone on Jaxon's field.

**Sayer: 3400 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 3600 LP**

"Tread carefully, foolish leader. I draw!" She smirked as she quickly pulled the top card of her deck. "I warn you, I'm not the same person as I used to be. I'm more powerful than I have ever been! I"ll prove it to you by making this move! I summon to the field, 'Fortune Lady Past' (Level: 1/ ATK: 0/DEF:0)!"

"Next I'll activate the 'Time Passage' quick-play spell, which allows me to increase the level of my 'Fortune Lady Past' by 3 until the end phase! That means 'Fortune Lady Past' is now a level 4 monster!" Although Carly seemed to never played a deck such as 'Fortune Ladies', she seemed to already get into the flow on the advantages of working with these types of monsters.

"Now I activate the spell card, 'Fortune Lady Calling'! This card allows me to Special Summon another 'Fortune Lady' monster with a different name! I'll use this effect to Special Summon 'Fortune Fairy Light' (Level: 1/ ATK: 0/DEF:0)! Now I activate the effect of my 'Fortune Lady Past'! I can now target one of my 'Fortune Ladies' and banish any other spellcaster type monsters on my field, and in return, that monster's level is lowered depending on how many monsters are banished! I'll target my 'Fortune Lady Past' and banish my 'Fortune Lady Light' from the duel!" Carly explained.

"After all of that, your powers that you supposedly received are playing around with the levels of your own monsters? I guess you're even more of a letdown than the old you." Sayer responded.

"I would keep your mouth shut and watch, because my turn isn't over yet! I activate the effect of my 'Fortune Lady Light'! When this card leaves the field by a card effect, I can Special Summon another 'Fortune Lady' monster from my deck!" Carly then pulled out the appropriate card she needed for the situation she was in.

"I'll use its effect to Special Summon, 'Fortune Lady Water (Level: 4/ ATK:0/DEF:0)! Now 'Fortune Lady Water's' effect activates! When she's Special Summoned while I control a 'Fortune Lady' monster, I get to draw 2 more cards from my deck!" Carly quickly draws her cards. She then sees the perfect opportunity to increase her hand even more.

"I could just end you here and now, but I'll give my partner over here one more turn before I deliver the final blow! Before that happens, I activate 'Fortune's Future'! This card allows me to return one banished 'Fortune Lady' monster to the graveyard and I get to draw 2 more cards in addition!" Carly once again drew 2 more cards and smiled at the result of the play.

"I guess drawing cards outside of the draw phase is your other power…" Sayer said with no emotion.

"I think it's now time! I tune my level 4 'Fortune Lady Water' with my level 3 'Fortune Lady Past'! Join the fight, 'Fortune Lady Every' (Level: 7/ ATK: 0/DEF:0)!" Both duelists quickly gaze their eyes upon the colorful, yet dangerous and powerful witch.

"Here's another thing if you already didn't know, the attack points of my monster is determined by her level by 400! So since my 'Fortune Lady Every' is a level 7 monster, her attack points go all the way up to 2800 attack points!" Carly said.

"Well, that's not good!" Sayer said to himself.

"For _you,_ that is! 'Fortune Lady Every', attack and destroy 'Psychic Lifetrancer'!" Carly pointed at Sayer's monster, which prompted 'Every' to press forward. Unfortunately for Sayer, he couldn't counter the attack, and witnessed his monster fall.

"I'll set a face down and end it there. If you want any chance of victory, make your next two turns count! Hahaha!" Carly laughed at the sight of Sayer, who brought himself up from the ground after taking damage from the previous attack.

**Akiza: 2700 LP/ Misty: 4000 LP**

"I draw! First I'll activate my trap card, 'Wicked Rebirth'! By paying 800 life points, I can Special Summon my 'Garden Rose Maiden' back to the field in attack mode!" Akiza quickly resurrects her maiden to the field.

"Next I activate the Spell card, 'Seed of Deception'! This card allows me to Special Summon a level 2 or lower monster from my hand, and by using this effect, I'll Special Summon 'Copy Plant' in defense mode (Level: 1/ ATK:0/DEF:0)!" Akiza thinks about her next move.

"Bring out all of the lower level monsters you want, they won't help you at all! My Hydra will squash and devour them on my next turn!" Misty abruptly shouted, which Akiza gave a weird after hearing her voice ring out.

"Of course someone would say something like that while one would execute a skillful move." Akiza curiously replied. "You should have known that I'm only getting started! I activate 'Copy Plant's' effect! Now by targeting my 'Garden Rose Maiden', 'Copy Plant's' level is the same as my Garden Rose Maiden, a level 5 monster to be exact!"

"I'll continue my move by summoning 'Dark Verger' in defense mode (Level: 2/ ATK:0/DEF:1000)! Now it's time to give my two monsters a little bit of a tune up! Time to Synchro Summon! When a cold flame envelops the world, a black flower blooms! Watch as I tune my level 2 'Dark Verger' with my level 5 'Copy Plant' to Synchro Summon, 'Black Rose Dragon (Level: 7/ ATK:2400/DEF:1600)!" The ground once again shakes around the two duelists as red leaves begin to take form in the surrounding area, a dragon would be appearing out of the rubble shortly after. Its thunderous roar of battle signals her presence.

"So… this is it. The very dragon that helped you in ending my younger brother's life! I've been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an eternity to destroy a monster you hold dear into your cold dead heart!" Misty growled at the sight of Akiza's dragon. Akiza's arm at the same time glowed, revealing the same mark that glowed earlier at the sight of Misty's change of appearance into her Dark Signer outfit.

"Aggh!" Yusei is suddenly woken by the sudden pain of the mark glowing on his right arm. He couldn't figure out why the mark was glowing at first, but then an event earlier in the day before made him think twice.

"Jaxon, he may be in battle! I gotta check outside to see what's going on!" Yusei ran to the top floor of the place he was residing in. He quickly opened the door leading to the rooftop of the building, and immediately gasped on what he saw at first sight.

"What the? Purple flames all over the city?" He asked himself. He then looked at the sky and gazed at the three purple figures lying parallel to the sky above, over the large hotel building in near Downtown Domino.

"Those figures are directly over New Domino City! I need to check this out fast!" Yusei ran back downstairs, but not to sleep in, but to get on his duel runner and see the action for himself.

"_I'm not so sure what is truly happening right now, but I bet it's those Dark Signers that Godwin told me and Jack about!" _He quickly speeds off onto the nearby freeway towards downtown as the duels in the hotel building continue.

At the same time, Jack Atlas was taking a late night ride for himself when he also happened to stumble upon some purple flames across from him.

"Well isn't this a way to make things interesting on a night like this? How bout I check this whole thing out by kicking it into overdrive!?" He yelled as he hit the turbo and the gas pedal as he quickly accelerated around the flames in order to pull in closer to the center.

"I know your brother's story is tragic, but I think we should focus more on our duel shouldn't we? I activate my 'Black Rose Dragon's' special ability! By removing a plant type monster from my graveyard, your 'Reptilanne Hydra's' attack points go to zero!"

"What?!" Misty, shocked by Akiza's statement, watched her Hydra be drained of its power right in front of her eyes.

"Now, Black Rose Dragon, attack and destroy 'Reptilianne Hydra'!" The dragon makes no errors and wastes no time slaying the 6 headed hydra, in which angered Misty even more. She was possibly heading in the direction of falling to Akiza's dragon, in which she claimed that the same dragon took the life of her brother Toby.

"I'll end my turn with a face down card. I'll hand the turn over to you, Misty!"

**Sayer: 3000 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 3600 LP**

"It's my move now! I'll activate the effect of the 'Teleport' continuous spell! By paying another 800 life points, I can Special Summon 'Final Psychic Orge' (Level: 5/ ATK:2200/DEF:1700)! Now, I'll summon 'Psychic Commander' (Level: 3/ ATK:1400/DEF:800) in attack mode! Next, I'll tune my level 5 'Final Psychic Orge' with my level 3 'Psychic Commander' to Synchro Summon, 'Thought Ruler Archfiend' (Level: 8/ ATK:2700/DEF:2300)" Sayer brings himself back into the duel with his move. He had plans on how he could at least destroy Jaxon's or Carly's monster, if he could execute them.

"Now I activate my 'Thought Ruler Archfiend' with 'Psychic Sword'! Since my life points are lower than your life points by 600, my 'Thought Ruler Archfiend' gains attack points equal to the difference! Now my 'Thought Ruler Archfiend' has 3300 attack points!" Sayer, with confidence, knew he had a chance to pull out the win if he stayed on the attack.

"Thought Ruler Archfiend', attack and destroy Jaxon's phoenix!" Jaxon could only watch as his mighty blue phoenix fell to the Archfiend and dissolved in a pile of blue flames in front of him as his life points took a small hit.

"Now my 'Thought Ruler Archfiend' loses 300 attack points, which brings its total down to 3000 attack points. I guess I might win this duel after all!" Sayer said. "Before I end my turn, I activate my 'Thought Ruler Archfiend's' effect, since I destroyed your monster in battle and sent it to the graveyard, I gain life points equal to that monster's attack points! That means I now have 6000 life points to spare in this duel.

"Wow. I probably should have done something…" Jaxon mumbled.

"You should have indeed. I'll fortify my defense with a face down and now, let's see what you got, Mr. Red Hat! Hahahahaha!" Sayer laughed briefly.

**Sayer: 6000 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 3000 LP**

"I must say, I wanted to finish you quicker than normal. Despite the little amount of pain I'm feeling from that attack, you probably shouldn't be laughing right now…" Jaxon reminded Sayer.

"Why wouldn't I laugh? You can barely stand as far as I'm concerned!" Sayer smirked.

"Because my surprise will wipe that smile right off as fast as my great phoenix will rise from it's own ashes! You see, since my 'Cerulean' was destroyed by battle, during my stand-by phase, I can Special Summon her back to my field! Rise from the ashes and be reborn my great phoenix!" Indeed, Sayer's smile was quicked wiped off as 'Cerulean' made her grand appearance after falling to the Archfiend just moments before.

"Welp, you weren't wrong I guess." Sayer said while staring at the beast in front of him.

"That's not all as well, I activate 'Cerulean's' special ability! By destroying one 'Nephthys' monster from my hand, in exchange, I can destroy one monster on your field!" Jaxon pointed at Sayer's monster.

"You can WHAT?!" Sayer yelled in shock as his phoenix used her thundering rain of blue flames upon the powerless 'Archfiend', causing it to be destroyed right in front of Sayer's eyes.

"Now, how bout this for a direct attack?! Go get him 'Cerulean'! Blast a chuck of his life points away!" Cerulean this time, roared out a huge blue ball of fire right at Sayer, which threw him against the forcefield and down to the ground. Sayer then groaned in huge amounts of discomfort.

"Hehehehe. Excellent move Jaxon. I can sense the anger flowing through your entire body." Carly said to him. "You should probably summon a couple more monsters if possible in order to make my final move the final blow like you promised."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten about that. I'll enter main phase two and activate the spell card, 'Preparation of Rites'! This allows me to add one level 7 or lower Ritual monster from my deck to my hand and then, I can add 1 Ritual spell card from my graveyard back to my hand! I'll return my 'Rebirth of Nephthys' to my hand!" Jaxon, with the power of his Ritual spell card can go for another Ritual Summon!

"You pretty much know what's coming Sayer, I sacrifice my level 3 'Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring' to Ritual Summon another copy of 'Connector of Nephthys'!" Jaxon had everything going for him, he just needed one more monster to summon…

"Now I activate 'Connector's' special ability! Like earlier, I can Special Summon a Ritual monster from my hand or deck after my 'Connector of Nephthys' is successfully Ritual Summoned! I'll use its effect to Special Summon the level 2 Ritual monster, 'Devotee of Nephthys' (Level: 2/ ATK: 1200/DEF: 1200)! Now I have not 1, not 2, but 3 Ritual monsters on my side of the field!" He commanded out in full confidence.

"I'll end my turn with a face down card. Your move Sayer!" Jaxon signaled out.

**Sayer: 3000 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 3000 LP**

All of your monsters will soon be vanquished! I draw!" Sayer draws. "I once again activate my 'Teleport' Continuous spell, which at the cost of 800 LP allows me to Special Summon 'Storm Caller' (Level: 6/ ATK: 2300/DEF: 2000)!"

"Next I Normal Summon a copy of my 'Krebons' (Level: 2/ ATK: 1200/DEF: 400) from my hand! Then, I'll activate the Spell card, 'Double Summon', which allows me to Normal Summon a second time this turn!"

"Oh great." Jaxon sarcastically mumbled.

"I use the effect of 'Double Summon' to bring out 'Doctor Cranium' ( Level: 1/ ATK: 100/DEF: 100)!"

"_Now monster wise, we're pretty much even. Even though he has his 3 Ritual monsters out, I have a plan to wipe them out slowly, but surely and effectively! Then he'll realize that he shouldn't have picked a fight with someone far superior than him!" _Sayer processed in his head.

"Now, I tune my level 1 'Doctor Cranium' and my level 6 'Storm Caller' with my level 2 'Krebons'! I Synchro Summon, 'Hyper Psychic Blaster' ( Level: 9/ ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500)!" All 3 of Sayer's monsters quickly combine into one, and out of nowhere, from a huge clump of light floating in mid-air came out a monster that looked more like a combat robot with blasters in his hands.

"Hyper Psychic Blaster, destroy his 'Devotee of Nephthys'! Rapid Fire Shockwave!" Sayer commanded as his monsters aimed at 'Devotee', going for the kill.

"I'm miles ahead of you Sayer, I activate the 'Impenetrable Attack' Trap card! Now my monsters can't be destroyed in battle or by card effects during this battle phase!" Jaxon replied.

"That may be, but you still lose 1800 life points. Maybe you're not as ahead as you think you are! I'll set up a little defense with a face down and end my turn!"

"How disappointing." Jaxon unemotionally said as he quickly chuckled for a moment.

"Hmm? What do you mean disappointing? Your falling behind on life points. You must be concerned about your current situation!" Sayer rebutted.

"I could be, but there's a problem with your statement. You forgot to mention that I had a partner here with me." Jaxon mentioned as he looked over at Carly who stared at Sayer. "Based on her looks and her lifeless gaze, you're about to be served to justice."

"I should also say the same thing about your friend Akiza. She will most likely end up with you very soon. Hehehe!" Jaxon reminded Sayer in which he slightly gasped.

**Akiza: 1900 LP/ Misty: 1600 LP**

"It's my move now." Misty draws. "I activate the Field Spell, 'Earthbound Geoglyph'!" Misty activates the card into the field slot on her duel disk.

The purple flames outside began to intensify even more than the time they first appeared.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" Akiza worryingly asks.

"It's simple, playing my field spell so I can rightfully summon the monster that will send you to your final destination!" Misty replied. "But first, I activate the Spell Card, 'Reptilianne Spawn'! This card allows me to banish one 'Reptilianne' monster from my graveyard and Special Summon two 'Reptilianne' tokens to my field!"

"This duel is over Akiza! Now, I sacrifice two of my 'Reptilianne' tokens to perform a Tribute Summon!" Misty commanded outwards. Her tokens soon vanish from the field.

"What monster are you planning to summon?!" Akiza wondered.

"Funny that you ask, Akiza. The monster I am summoning to the field is the same monster that I made a deal with. A deal that I'm about to complete right here, right now!" Misty pulled out the card from her hand, which to Akiza's perspective seemed to be the monster she was talking about.

"By the power of the Dark Signers, I shall bring victory to my cause! I summon 'Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua' ( Level: 10/ ATK: 2800/DEF: 1800)!" The ground began to shake once more, but this time, harder than it has ever had. With this shaking, some sparks of purple essence began to rise from the ground. Akiza began to panic, wondering if the whole building would collapse on the two duelists.

"What is happening? What are those things outside?!" Akiza loudly asked Misty.

"Those? Those purple essence of flames are absorbing the citizens of New Domino City! Their spirits fuel the fire to call forth my Immortal!" Misty said sadistically. Akiza continued to watch in shock as she could almost hear the screams of those being absorbed into the formation of the immortal outside of the building.

Outside of the building, an object that looked like a form of netherock was floating in the air swallowing the essences of flames. Before long, the rock glowed in a bright purple color. The rock then began to quickly brighten, shadowing the sudden presence of the monster spirit from being seen with the naked eye. The bright light then fades away, causing the shaking and the flames to fizzle out.

Everything goes suddenly quiet for a few seconds as Akiza regains her balance.

"Umm, where's your monster at?" Akiza asked as immediately, she heard an intense resounding growl from the outside of the building.

She quickly gasped and slowly turned her head to the right and looked behind her. The growling started to crescendo every second that went by. Akiza suddenly began to shake in fear of the being as she could start to see the physical appearance of Misty's Earthbound Immortal.

'Ccarayhua' let out another loud growl as he quickly opened his black and green eyes, revealing one of them to Akiza in a nearby window behind her.

"AHH!" Akiza screamed out. She witnessed the Immortal lean back to let out one more roar into the sky above it. Signaling its presence in this duel.

**Sayer: 2200 LP/ Carly and Jaxon: 1200 LP**

Back in Sayer's office, the shaking of the ground returned once again, stronger than ever. Everyone within the room could see the purple essence of flames homing towards the sky at an angle since Misty's Earthbound Immortal was on the exact opposite side of the building.

"Oh God, another one!?" Jaxon yelled out as he and Sayer were trying to regain their balance. Carly stood like a statue; almost feeling like she never feels as if anything is happening outside.

"It seems like your lover summoned her Immortal first." Carly said to Jaxon.

"Immortal?" Jaxon asked, confused. "What do you mean Immortal?"

"You'll find out this turn. Trust me." Carly said back. "As for you Sayer, I'm afraid your time on this planet is about to run out, along with your friend down below! I draw!"

"I activate the Field Spell, 'Nazca Skylines'!" Carly inserted the card into her Field Spell slot on her disk. A small geoglyph appeared above the three duelists, just like the geoglyph in the card art.

"Next, I activate 'De-Synchro'! By targeting one Synchro Monster on the field, I return it to my Extra Deck! Then, if the monsters that I used for the Synchro Summon of the monster I returned to my Extra Deck are in my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon them to my field!" Carly enthusiastically but sadistically yelled out.

"No way! You can't possibly do that!" Sayer yells back in defiance.

"Watch me!" Carly smiled. "I use the effect of 'De-Synchro' to bring back 'Fortune Lady Past' and 'Fortune Lady Water' to my field!"

"Impossible…" Sayer mumbled in shock. His thoughts of victory soon were slipping away from his hands. Doubt started to creep in the mind of Sayer.

"_This is not possible! I'm the leader of the Arcadia Movement! How can I let some news reporter and some lucky shot champion beat me in my own backyard!? I will not let it happen!" _Sayer thought.

"It's time to end this duel! I now tribute and release 'Fortune Lady Water' and 'Fortune Lady Past' to the Graveyard!" Carly says as she pulls out a card from her hand.

"_What is that card? I can feel a strong sense of dark magic coming from that card itself!" _Jaxon processed as he witnessed Carly extend her right arm into the air with her selected card raised.

"Now, after 5,000 years. The portal to the Netherworld will open once again! I summon, 'Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu' ( Level: 10/ ATK: 2500/DEF: 2500 )!"

Carly quickly slaps the card onto her duel disk, causing the inner part of her disk to light up in all various colors for a split second.

More shaking starts to take place once again. Like last time, Jaxon and Sayer struggle to stay on their feet, while Carly seems to be unaffected. A few more seconds go by, and silence fills the room.

"Uhh, where is this monster at?" Sayer asked Carly.

As soon as he asked that very question, Jaxon's eyes widened as if he seen a ghost appear before him. He took a step back, which Sayer quickly noticed.

"What in the he-" A roar that sounded just like what a pterodactyl would make cutoff Jaxon before he could finish. Sayer, shocked in the moment, turned his head back, only to look at an eye that was filled with a bright orange color looking directly at him.

The pterodactyl-like monster then moved back from the building, revealing it's true form. Sayer was in awe at the sight of Carly's Earthbound Immortal. He struggled at the point where he could barely move his lips to speak.

"I've- I've never seen such a monster at this size in my entire life…" Sayer stated while staring at 'Aslla Piscu'.

"Yeah well, you won't be seeing it for long. I activate 'Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys's' effect! By destroying 'Devotee of Nephthys' on my field, in exchange, I can destroy your 'Hyper Psychic Blaster'!" Carly points out as Jaxon looks at Carly suddenly.

"Really? You're gonna destroy one of my monsters in exchange?" He cloaked his joke while acting seriously sarcastically at Carly.

"What? He's wide open to an attack! Besides, you should know that since my 'Nazca Skylines' allows my 'Aslla Piscu' to be unaffected by any Spell or Trap cards my opponent controls!" Carly jerked back at Jaxon.

"No! Impossible!" Sayer learned that his 'Negate Attack' trap card would be rendered useless.

"I'm afraid that this duel is all but over. Now that your 'Hyper Psychic Blaster' is no longer on the field, 'Aslla Piscu' will send you to your doom!" Carly shouted out. Her monster at the same time began to point it's long beak towards the sky above.

Then, only a second later would the mighty Immortal drive the end of its beak into Sayer's office. The momentum of the shockwave surprisingly didn't affect Jaxon and certainly didn't affect Carly. Sayer however, was a different story.

He let out a yell as soon as 'Aslla Piscu's' beak crashed through the window and steel of the building outside, which caused Sayer's body to launch forward towards Carly and Jaxon as fast as a top fuel dragster car going down a speedway.

Jaxon watched and was frozen in reaction to Sayer's near lifeless body crash through the wooden doors and walls of his office.

Many floors below, Misty and Akiza could both hear the sudden blast come from above. Akiza unfortunately, had a very bad feeling as she suddenly saw her dear leader in the air, falling through the open space to her right.

"Sayer Nooo!" She hopelessly yelled out. She could hear the echoes of her leader falling to his doom below. His voice slowly fades away as Akiza shakes uncontrollably.

"_Sayer! He's gone! He's gone!" _Akiza could feel tears filling up her eyes as she looked up above, noticing someone familiar in the distance looking down at the space below.

Akiza loudly gasped at the sight of Jaxon, standing near the edge of the broken walkway many floors above. Then, Jaxon disappears, back into Sayer's office.

"Good riddance." Jaxon said to himself as he walked back into the fallen leader's office. As soon as he walked back in, the ground began to shake once again. Out of the sequence of events that involved the ground shaking below Jaxon's feet, this was the big one.

"Crap, let's get out of here!" Jaxon shouted as he ran out the door. Carly eventually ran the opposite direction of Jaxon after she sprinted out of the office.

"I hope you know where you're going Carly." Jaxon said as Carly disappeared from his site.

"Looks like we'll have to finish this some other time Akiza! Mark my words, you will meet your destiny soon enough!" Misty then runs as fast as she could away from Akiza in order to catch up with Jaxon. She then thought about his safety and his whereabouts, so to make sure, she brings out her phone from her pockets and dials up Jaxon's phone number.

***RING! RING! RING!***

Jaxon's phone suddenly vibrates from his jeans. He pulls out his phone while quickly to see who was calling him. He quickly answers the call to no surprise.

Jaxon: Misty? You there?

Misty: Yes! Listen, run towards the top of the building. Meet me outside up there!

Jaxon: Are you crazy? I would rather run towards the bottom to have a chance of survival!

Misty: Trust me. Everything is going to be ok. When you reach the top, you'll see a door that will lead outside at the roof of the building! Get there quick!

Jaxon: Why to the top of the building? Is there any reason why?!

Misty: Just get to the rooftop for heaven sakes! I'll see you there!

Jaxon: Wait-

***BEEP***

"This is on her if I don't survive this!" Jaxon then decided to take the stairs rather than the elevator just in case the elevator were to break down and lose power while the building kept shaking.

"I could care less if my legs feel heavy, I'm taking the safe route!" He told himself as he ran up the stairs towards the rooftop.

Outside of the building, the two Immortals were thrown back away from the building. Eventually, they started to collapse towards the ground like they were being swallowed by a Black Hole. Their presence, no longer existent soon after.

"Huh? The flames are gone!" Jack says as the flames around him fizzle out since the duels have concluded. He barely has time to think about what happened within the building as suddenly, his signer mark on his right arm glows bright red.

"Arghh! My mark!" Jack said. "Someone must be in there!"

Jack revs up his duel runner and accelerates inside of the building, now with its lights cutout. He decides to drive up the stairs in order to find anyone that seems to be in trouble on any floor. Luckily for him, it would seem to be easier as every floor he reaches, his mark would increase with intensity that would almost seem to hurt him.

"_There's gotta be someone in here! Where are they?" _Jack continued his search as he continued to speed up his runner up the stairs.

Jack eventually reaches a floor in which his mark glowed so intensely. He knew that someone was on this floor. He then parked his runner by a nearby wall and walked towards the center of the floor.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?!" Jack yelled out. No response back. Jack then saw something sparkle at the corner of his eye and noticed it quickly.

"Huh? What was that?" Jack walked over to what seemed to be a pair of glasses, but just no ordinary pair of glasses.

"Glasses? They look like-" Jack cuts himself off. He knew who the pair of glasses belonged to.

"Carly's!" Jack realized. "Carly! Carly are you in here?!"

Jack looked around to see if Carly was around. He kept yelling out her name, but to no avail. However, someone did hear his voice…

"J-Jack…" A female voice mumbled out, in which Jack quickly turned around. The first thing he saw was Akiza, laying face down after what looked like she was temporarily knocked out by falling debris.

"Akiza!" Jack quickly ran over and picked up Akiza. "Hold on! I'm gonna get you outta here!"

Jack set Akiza in the backseat of his duel runner and quickly accelerated down the stairs. He may have rescued someone, but one thing was for sure, Carly was still on his mind.

"_Where are you Carly?" _He thought.

The shaking of the building eventually subdued before Jaxon reached the rooftop door of the hotel. Thankfully for him, he didn't get injured during his ascend to the top.

"Looks like we can finally have some peace for once." He said as he opened the door in front of him. He then walked outside to the scent of the late night and shut the door behind him. He took a little walk around the roof with the edges being fenced off, trying to gather himself and think who these Dark Signers are.

"_Dark Signers… I know Misty and Carly are at least two of them. How many more could there be? What's the main purpose of them being here?"_ Jaxon thought. _"Do these marks have some connection in between?"_

"Aghh!" Jaxon quickly grabs his right arm, which means that his mark was glowing once again. His mark glew purple just like last time, which made Jaxon confused for a second.

"It's purple, again?!" He said. "I know I was fighting alongside a Dark Signer, but I'm not one of them? Am I?"

The Mark of the Phoenix then slowly appears in the sky right above Jaxon. Without noticing at first, he takes a look at the night sky as what he thought was a purple object floating in the air above, but it turned out to be just one part of the Phoenix layered across the sky above.

"No way, I've seen that before! I saw that figure in the sky when me and Jack dueled inside the Crimson Dragon! Why is it appearing now?" Jaxon wondered as he continued to look up at the figure while holding his right arm.

The outside door suddenly opens slowly…

"You're on the right path, my love." A female voice calls out. Jaxon immediately recognized the voice and walked over towards the woman standing at the door.

"M-Misty?" Jaxon's relieved look turned into worry and fright. Misty didn't look like the Misty he saw earlier with her white and blue dress mixed with her blue crystal eyes.

She looked like the direct opposite. Her eyes turned black, her dress matching her eye color with green layers. Not to mention the red marks along her cheeks.

"Please, don't be afraid. It's me. Your loving girlfriend!" Misty took her time walking to Jaxon in order to not scare him off. She could sense that Jaxon was starting to panic just like he did when they first met.

"Relax. It's ok. I'm here." She cooed into his ear as Jaxon started to shake and breathe out of rhythm. She embraced him without putting too much pressure and could feel his breathing starting to slow down.

"What happened to you? Why do you look like this?" Jaxon asked.

"This is my Dark Signer form. I'm in this form so that I could show off my true power." Misty replied. "No need to be scared my dear. I'm not gonna attempt to harm you; I would NEVER. Not to someone I treasure all of my heart with"

"Why is my mark appearing in the sky? What does this mean?" He wondered as he looked up one more time.

"Like I said when I walked out, you're on the right path." Misty answered.

"What do you mean, on the right path?" Jaxon asked again.

"On the path of becoming the most powerful duelist in this universe." Misty reminded him. "Your power is only getting stronger everyday. You used those same powers to end Sayer's life. You yourself, ended the Arcadia Movement. While I wasn't able to finish our duel, your actions traumatized Akiza, you did a lot more damage than I thought you would do."

"But, what if I gain too much power? What if I become so powerful that I'll hurt those that I love dearly? I don't think I'll-" Jaxon stopped himself in an attempt to gather himself. "I'm just, so afraid…"

"I'm afraid that if I gain too much power, I'll- I'll become corrupt, and I'll lose it all!" Jaxon collapsed to the ground in front of Misty.

Jaxon's breathing and shaking spiked upwards quickly. Misty knelt down and embraced him once again as he uncontrollably succumbed to panic. She could feel the pain of Jaxon as he started to break down emotionally.

"I- I don't want to lose anyone that I love dearly to death because I wasn't there. "I need- I need-" He couldn't finish his sentence. He began to cry heavily to the point where he couldn't say another word without fully finishing the first time around.

"I- c- can't-" Misty tightly hugged Jaxon desperately. She started to feel more pain resonating throughout his body. She was about to shed tears herself.

"Oh, my love. It hurts to see you at this stage. I understand your pain." She softly commanded. "I promise, things will get better for you. Please, don't be afraid of your growing power."

"You will use this power for the greater good, for your friends, for your fans… and for me." Misty whispered as she gently kissed Jaxon's right check.

_To be continued_

**Well guys, I really hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the story! I do apologize for the long wait, college has been a bitch lately and video games have been on my mind as well. By no means am I abandoning this FanFiction! I will complete this story someday, that is a guarantee! **

**I will also update this document and post any changes that I need, there are some Grammar and Capitalization issues present, but I just felt like I needed to get this chapter out since I bet you readers wanted to desperately read the next chapter! **

**Anyways, this is HFARecon. Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, and have a great day wherever, whenever you're reading this!**

**-HFARecon**


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